Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-05-26
rspec,al Washington Letter

Especial Washington letter.
With me practicing law-not politics
is my principal vocation Very early
In my professional career 1 learned a
fact which every lawyer learns sooner
| or later, the sooner the better-that
when witness ON the opposing side
testifes his way 1t does his case ten
times more good than the same evidence
given by one of his own witnesses,
provided, of course, that the witnesses
are equally credible. The same rule
holds good In politics. Let US apply 10
to the revenue bill, carrying divers tax.
es and 5000, 900, 900 interest bearing
bonds $500, 900, 900 of which are
10-2O's. This bill was rushed through
the house under whip and spur ON Fri.
day, April 90. without any adequate
time for debate.
will quote no Democrat as to either
Its merits or demerits, but for the ben
GIFT and enlightenment of Republicans
who may read this letter / quote In ex-
tense Hon. Joseph H Walker Of Mas
sachusetts. 1t is scarcely possible that
there Is within the broad confines Of
the republic q man who can read who
has not heard of Mr. Walker, but lest
there be such will state who and what
he is.
An Able Republican.
He is one of the ablest and most fear
less men In the house. He is Repub-
lican of the strictest sect. Sixty eight
years old, serving his tenth year in con-
gress, chairman of the great committee
on banking and currency, he Is the dean
| Of the Massachusetts, delegation In the
house. He is an indefatigable student ct
| financial and economic subjects He Is
member of the American Academy OF
Political and Social Science, trustee
of the American Institute of Civics, a
| trustee of Brown university and Of the
Newton Mass Theological seminary.
He began life working on boots and
shoes In his father factory and has peg
ged away at the same business until he
has become a multimillionaire. Bis
good business sense Is shown by the
fact that he has transferred large part
of his boot and shoe interests to Chicago
| and st. Louis, the latter being the
greatest boot and shoe manufacturing
center in the world.
Mr. Walker is rantankerous high
tariff advocate.
His orthodoxy as a goldbug is suf1-
ciently vouched for by the fact that he
was tho prime mover in the attempt to
bounce President Andrews out Of Brown
university because he Is bimetallist
and persisted in teaching that gospel to
his pupils.
A Republican who will not believe
Mr.. Walker would not believe one
though he rose from the dead to testify
or came down from heaven to 60 ON the
witness stand
quote him in preference to all 9th
ers because Of his high position In the
councils Of his party, even If 1t does
put him in the attitude of turning
states evidence" against his political
| fellows.
An Infamous Measure.
Democrats everywhere would do well
| to paste Mr.. Walkers words in their
hats. They are good campaign material.
On the bond bill he said in part:
| II want to be recognized ON this
| question. If may be indulged for mo-
| ment, Let me say that we have now be-
| fore us the great war measure Of this
| war, of moro consequence than any 9TH
or measure that will be presented here,
| and this most important measure is to
| be hurried through In this manner with
| out being criticised or debated. want
| to say TO this house that the issuing Of
bonds in the manner here proposed will
be approved of, as the gentleman ON my
right says, by the bankers Of this coun-
try, but we are legislating for the peo-
pie Of the country [applausel, and
if this bill goes through with the bond
provision in Its present form it will. In
my Judgment, cost this people from
$50, 900, 900 to $50, 900, 900 more than If
it goes through in proper form. I desire
a chance to be heard upon this question
and heard upon the amendment which
I wish to offer whenever It may be In
order"
Here clerk read:
'Mr. Walker of Massachusetts, moves
to amend by striking out at the end Of
line o, section ~, ON page A, the
words ten years from the and all of
4 ~ lLlu IL tuC WoAuS
cent per annum' and inserting the fol-
lowing words:
"One year from the date of their is
sue and upon the expiration Of three
years, or bonds payable after three years
and upon the expiration of seven years,
or bonds due ON u certain day within
three years from the date of such bonds
as the secretary of the treasury may
elect, such bonds to bear interest at a
rate not exceeding 8 per cent per an-
num-"
Mr.. Walker of Massachusetts,:
"Mr. Chairman, am probably the
onsy Republican who, from any indica-
tions have had, proposes to take issue
with this bill or ut least with two or three
sections of L. AS I have had no oppor-
tunity TO discuss this measure in the
| general debate, I ask that / may now be
| allowed by general consent to proceed