The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-02-11
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent


Speaker Reed and the other repub-
llcan leaders of the House were of the
opinion that the best answer to the
Teller resolution would be its defeat
by vote OF the House; consequently
it was referred to the Ways and Means
Committee, unfavorably reported and
defeated. 1t would have been an easy
matter to kill the resolution without
allowing it to be voted upon, but that
method of disposing OF it would have
allowed the silver men to claim that
the republicans were afraid to give the
House chance to vote upon it. Presi-
dent Mckinley also thought that the
House would better defeat the resolu-
tion by direct vote than by any in
direct method.
1t has always been the policy of the
republican party to make every dollar
of our money as good as any other
dollar, and to pay all government. OBJ
legations in the best money. The
party stood firmly by that policy when
the greenback craze was sweeping
over the country; President McKin-
ley's last republican predecessor-Hon
Benz HarrisOn-reiterated that idea
upon several occasions during his
term, and The st. Louis platform, upon
which President Mckinley was elect
ed, spoke in no uncertain language on
the same subject. Therefore no one
was surprised, although some OF the
silver men pretended to be, when Pres
ident Mckinley said: "Whatever
may be the language OF the contract,
the United States will discharge all its
obligations in the currency recognized
as the best throughout the civilized
world at the times OF payment" 1t
would hare been surprising had he
said anything else. No living man is
a stronger advocate of the unlimited
use of both silver and gold as money
metals, provided that it can be brought
about by the consent of a sufficient
number of the nations which control
the worlds commerce to prevent the
silver becoming deprecated currency,
than President Mckinley, but he has
the same horror of a nation trying to
pay its just obligations in deprecia:-
ed currency that every honest man
would have of solvent business con-
Germ which sought to scale its indebt-
edness.
Three out of the four gold demo-
cratic Senators-Gray, of Delaware;
Mitchell, of Wis, and Lindsay, of KY.
voted for the Teller resolution, de-
claring bonds payable at the option of
the government in silver, and one
Caffery, OF La.,-against it. Murphy,
of n. Y. and Smith, of n. ]. democrats
who voted for Bryan, but who have
claimed to be anti-sllver in their per-
sional views, voted for the resolution,
AID German, of Nd, who is in the
same boat, was paired. The explana-
tion of Senator Lindsay of why he
voted for the Teller resolution-that
it was nothing more than a declara-
ton of fact concerning existing laws
may doubtless also be palmed off on
some OF their constituents by Smith,
of n. j., Murphy, of n Y, and Mitch
ell, of Wis, all of whom claim to be
sound money men and all of whom
voted for the resolution, but it is no
valid excuse The resolution has
nothing whatever to-do with any ex-
isting law. The original, offered by
Stanley Matthews, when silver was at
premium and adopted by the House
and Senate, was only concurrent
resolution, aud never was law. So
that excuse won't wash.
No distinguished visitor who ever
came to Washington made better
impression IN short time than has
President Dole, of Hawaii, at present
the honored guest of the U. s. A
weak and vain man in President Dole's
position would have had his head
turned by the profered official lioniz-
ing, which he has had the good sense
to decline. Before arriving at Wash
ington, Mr. Dole made it clearly un-
derstood that such things as military
salutes and escorts were distasteful to
him, and that all he desired was to be
treated with the same courtesy that
would be extended to any other gentle
man visiting our country. He receiy-
ed the President, and ex-President
Harrison and many Senators and Rep
resentatlyes who have called on him,
with quiet dignity that at once won
for him their respect, which has been
enhanced by the general knowledge he
has displayed in conversing with them.
This week President Mckinley will
give state dinner in honor of Mr. and
Mrs. Dole, and the two Presidents and
their wives will hold a joint reception
at the White House. Present indica-
tions are that it will he sometime be-
fore the annexation treaty is voted On
by the Senate.