The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-03-11

smashing waves of Washington society
whose powers Of erosion upon an upright
yourg man are something remarkable
and which are almost incapable of wear
ing off.
~. heresoever the carcass is there will
the eaasas be gathered together said
the blple. There are certainly eagles
enough in Washington, indicating that
CarCasses are plenty. Many OF the
young men who are not fortuLete enough
to receive some sort Of Washington
berth" should thank their lucky stars
that their efforts have been in vain. 1t
requires a moral Gibraltar to succeed
here. They m gnt not have done so.
Many of those who do come here to sue
coed find, as they have never found be-
fore, that in the bright lexicon of youth
there is such a word as fail.
1t is too bad that such things exists.
There is no use to deny it, however In
the words of Shakespeare:
IT'S true, tbs pity, and pity It's us
true"
Some young men had best keep away
from Washington. More through tick
cts to perdition are issued here than at
any other station along the line. war
with Spain is an important topic just
now, but what we are coming to If WASH
ington society keeps on it's downward
course is indeed worthy subject or dis
cussion. 1t is very fortunate for the
nation, in my humble judgment, that the
average socity man in Washington has
no part in guiding the ship of state.
The occurrences of the last few days
clearly Indicate that it is the intention
of the Republican leaders, in pursuance
of their line of economy in the appro-
priations of this session of congress, to
oppose the passage of the usual river and
harbor bill. This impression has been
daily gaining ground and the debate in
the house on Friday and Saturday slim
Mated that belief to such an extent that
II is now nearly the unanimous opinion
that no general river and harbor bill
will be enacted until the short session
in December.
The sundry civil bill is the one now
before the house In it are several
items, appropriating over $5,0OO,OOO for
river and harbor Improvements for
which contracts have not been made.
This is significant. Heretofore no such
items have been included in this bill.
The sundry civil has always been regard
ed next to the general deficiency bill,
as a drag-net appropriation measure,
including about everything which can
not very readily be included in the other
hills Among these drag net" pro-
visions have always been appropriated
sums of money for river and harbor i'm
provements which have been placed un-
der contracts as part of the continuous
contract system, devised several years
ago. 1t has always been customary to
provide for places put under this scheme
in the sundry civil bill instead of the
river and harbor bill, although original
projects and money for places where
contracts for the work have not al
ready been entered into have been taken
. care of in the latter measure and have
been permitted as propellers for the
sundry civil bill.
And so when it was learned that in the
nending sundry civil bill, there are sew
eral items included for places which
have not been put under contract, it was
Immediately surmised that this is done
to cover some of the urgent harbor i'm
, movements in this bill and prevent the
, necessity of a general river and harbor
bill. in accordance with the usual GUS
, tom of passing one every two years at
, the long session The localities which
, have crept into the pending bill are Oak
land. CAL $133 900; ROckland, Me, $500,
, 600; San Pedro, CAL 100000; Kentucky
. river, S1O4. 900; Ohio river falls at Louis
. Vile. 1857. 900; waterway from Kewee-
+ nav bay to Lake Superior, $26S,O0O Mis-
sissippi river, 81 4S2, 900, and Missouri
river 100000.
c The committee on rivers and harbors
y have not yet met with view to taxing
M the matter of drafting the bill which
a regularly emanates from their com
y nlittee room. Individually they are
almost as a unit for the regular bill
MANY members are most earnest in theil
+ desire for a bill. At the war depart
;, ment, that portion of the government
i which has charge of carrying out the
4 provisions of the river and harbor bills
the statement is openly made that they
expect the usual bill will be passed
n but that opinion is not worth much
q as the department is not so closely il
:, touch with this feature of the case az
:, If might be. Although the friends OF
river and harbor appropriations
= least every two years, which they re
4 gard as one of the most essential ap
. propriations by congress, have not ye
abandoned hope of securing the regular
, bill at this session, it is not denied b!
g them that the action of the last TIVE
;, DAVIS has tended to lessen the prospects
of the usual river and harbor act, es
, pecially in view of the fact that thu
. usual language of the sundry civil bill
- has been so deviated from as to Include
several places which have not beer
a placed under contract.
" There are two men who have grea
Il weight with the administration on thi
= Cuban matter. Both are New Eng
# landers. One represents those WIFI
= want to interfere Immediately and pu
an end to the war, while the other comes
from the ultra conservative elemen
n which advises holding aloof from it a
N the present time. The first man l
# Redfield Proctor of Vermont, a persona
n friend of the presidents, who is now il
n Havana making an investigation TO
, himself. While he perhaps did not g
s on this trip at the suggestion of the ad
. ministration, there is no doubt but VIVA
i the result of his wanderings on the isl
o and will be communicated to the presi
,s dent. Senator Proctor advocates in
a reference and his present visit will onl