Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1898-01-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
A Surplus in the United
States Treasury.
The Senator From AIaryIand-The United
States and the Chinese Trade - Ala
For Cuba. - Senator wolcott's Prom
ised Speech.

states and the Chinese Trade - Ala
For Cuba. - Senator woIcott's Prom
ised Speech.
WASHINGTON, Jan. s, 1898.
The United States treasury starts
into 1898 with more pleasing out
look than it has bad at the begin
ming of year for sometime. There
was a surplus of about S1,75O, 900
for the month of December, and it
is reasonably certain that with the
exception of the present month, and
possibly April, when heavy quarterly
payments on account of pensions
have to be made, every month of
the present fiscal year will show a
surplus. 1t should not be forgotten
that the payments made on account
of the purchase of the Union Pacific
Railroad were included to make that
December surplus. While this con-
dition is gratifying to President Nc
Kinley and every Republican, it is
especially gratifying to Chairman
Dingley, who predicted many
months ago, when the extra session
of Congress was considering his tar
iff bill, that the governments 1nan-
cial condition would improve, lust
as it has done under the operation
of that bill as a law. On Saturday.
Mr. Dingley furnished the Press
Associations with a detailed state
ment of the revenues under the
| Dingley law and of the revenue out
| look
Judge McComas, who was popular
in Washington when he was a men,
Der of the house and who has in
creased in popularity since he oc-
cupied a seat upon the bench of the
Supreme Court of tho District of
Columbia, has forged ahead in the
Senatorial race in Maryland since
Gov. LOwndes, who is also very
popular in Washington, withdrew
in his favor, and the impression is
now general that Judge McComas
will be elected to succeed Senator
German. 1t is no reflection upon
the other gentlemen who are candi-
dates, active or passive, to say that
the election of Judge McComas to
the Senate would please more Re-
pubhcans in Washington than the
election of any other man named.
President Mckinley is thoroughly
alive to the meaning of the present
attitude of the great powers of Eu-
rope towards China. He knows
that they are after commerce as
well as territory. The United
States wants no territory as far away
as China, but it does want to keep the
valuable Chinese trade it already
has and to add to it, and, while not
intending to get mixed up in any
European deals or squabbles, it does
intend to take whatever steps that
may be necessary to protect Ameri-
can commercial interests in China.
The United States has treaty rights
in China which must be recognized
by any power that acquires terri
tory by any means in that country,
and with that end solely in view,
the president and his advisers are
watching every move made by the
powers of Europe in or towards
China. In other words, we have
nothing to do with the relations of
China and other nations so long as
our treaty rights are respected.
Notwithstanding the persistent
efforts of a portion of the Democra-
tic press TO prevent contributions,
the presidents manly appeal for
donations for the relief of the poor
Cubans, who are suffering for nee
essities of life by reason of the con-
ditions on the island and not for
any faults of their own, has touched
the charitable hearts of the country
nd substantial relief is pouring into
Cuba by every steamer. Arrange
ments have been made for Miss
Clara Barton, President of the
American Red Cross, to go to Cuba
with a staff of assistants to help the
United States consular agent in dis
tributing the aid among the suffer-
ing The president is much graft
fed at the prompt response of the
country to his appeal for aid.
President Mckinley will not send
the nomination of Gov. Griggs to be
Attorney General to the senate un-
til the nomination of Attorney Gen
eral McKenna to the Supreme Court,
has been confirmed, but no delay is
looked for in the latter.
This year, for the first time since
1898, when the death of Mrs. Harri-
son caused its suspension, there was
no New Years day reception at the
White House. President Mckinley
spent the day in rest, going for a drive
with Mrs. Mckinley in the morning
and receiving several personal
friends during the afternoon and
evening
The Democrats and the assistant
Democrats are striving hard to
make it appear that the financial
position of President Mckinley,
which is in strict accord with the
platform upon which he was elected,
furnishes a reason for the senators
who are popularity known as ''silver
Republicans to break their pleas
ant relations with him, but so far as
can be learned it is labor wasted.
Some of these would be mischief
makers may be surprised when Sem
ator Wolcott makes his promised
speech, explaining the trip of him
self and colleagues to Europe in be-
half of international bimetallism.
just before the Senate took its holi-