Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1898-01-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
m Our Regular Correspondent.

Financial topics have been
much discussed at the capitol this
week, but it was not on the floor
Of the house or senate, but in the
committee rooms aud between
individual senators and represent
atlves. Early in the week Sena-
tor Chandler started the ball
rolling, as it we're, by declaring
in the most emphatic language
that he had just had talk with
President Mckinley on the sub
ject, and that the presi-
dent was just as good a
bimetallist as he tChandler) was,
and that he had not given up
international blmetallism, but
intended to send the commission
to Europe again at the first favor
able opportunity. Then there
was breezy little talk in the
room of the senate finance COM
mittee on the resolution offered
by Senator Teller, declaring u.
S. bonds to be payable in silver
dollars OF the option of the gov
ernment. Consideration of the
resolution was postponed week.
Then there were long financial
talks by ex-senator Edmunds and
ex-Secretary Fairchild, members
of the monetary commission, be-
fore the house committee on
banking and currency, in favor
of the bill prepared and recon-
mended by that commission.
If those who favor a retention
of the present civil service status
really believe, as they say they
do, that the members of the house
who said so many bitter things
during the debate on the 1egisla-
tive, executive and judicial appro-
priation bill, which was passed
this week, are satisfied now that
they have gotten their speeches
in the Record which can be dis
trlbuted among their constituents,
they are likely to get a rude
awakening later on. The ants
are working harder than ever to
make converts and are expressing
confidence in their ability to get
their bill providing for a modified
civil service law before the house
and to pass it, before the present
session closes. Some of them
now express hope that the presi-
dent will not modify the present
rules, because that would weaken
them by satisfying some who
would otherwise vote for their
bill.
| If the revenues of the govern
ment should show a comfortable
surplus by next winter, there is
likely to be big boom in public
building legislation. 1t isn't
likely that any public building
bills will be passed by the house
at the present session, owing te
the attitude of the adn1inistra-
ton, the speaker, aud the chair.
man of the committee on appro-
priations towards keeping the
appropriations down to. the low.
est amount possible. But so fal
as public buildings are concerned,
this policy isn't playing a leading
part in the senate, which has al.
ready passed number OF. public
building bills and is likely to pass
many more before Adjournment
These bills will be on the house
calendar at the opening of tks
last session of the Fifty-fifth con
gress and, If the revenues show
a surplus, the most of them ars
likely to be passed. If there is Z
continued deficit, that will be at
unans werable argument for {
continuation of the present anti.
appropriation policy in the house
and many bualding-hungry town.
will be disappointed.
/ The postal authorities have de
cided upon the designs to be
used upon the series of stamps t.
be issued in commemoration O
the trans-Mississippi and Inter
pational Expossiition to be held a