Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-01-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF THE MONITOR

Help us modify the civil service law,
or we will join hands with the demo
Gratis and repeal the entire law. That,
in effect, is the notice that the hum
dred- odd republican members of the
| House who favor modification of this
/ law have served upon the other re-
publican members of the House dur
ing the debate, which is not yet over.
There has been much plain talk on the
subject, and there will be more. A
sample is the following, from the
speech of Representative Hepburn, of
Iowa: Gin some things the old sys-
tenn, at it's worst, was superior to the
new My colleagues in this House
know the qualifications of their con-
stituents, and in the selection of can
didates for office have everything at
stake. 1 believe that there is greater
probability of probity inaction, wis
dom in selection, and beneficence in
results in the old system than in this
darkened, subterranean, irresponsi-
BILE method we have fallen into in this
later time.;' Representative Clark,
Of New Hampshire said that he fav-
ored modification of the law and was
willing to leave it to the wisdom of the
Civil Service Committee as to how
far, but that s'any old thing'' was bet
ter than the present law. That Com
mittee is now considering the bill in
troduced last week, which confines
the operation of the civil service law
to positions paying from 5000 to 81, 500
year, inclusive, and to localities
where the employees exceed twenty
| five in number.
The treaty for the annexation of
Hawaii was to-day taken up by the
Senate, and the intention is to hold
daily executive sessions for its con-
sideration until it is disposed of. The
policy of the friends of annexation is
to allow it's opponents to do most of
the talking, SO as to get the debate
over as soon as possible, in order that
there may be no excuse for delaying
a vote. 1t is now the general belief
that the treaty will be ratified, owing
| to the announcement OF the number
| of Senators who were in doubt of
| their intention to vote for ratification.
The last European nation to take a
| place in the line of applicants for
reciprocity treaty with the .. S. is
Germany, the country which made a
| bluff when the Dingley tariff bill was
pending that was promptly called by
MoKin1nx-
The clause of the tariff that. brought
Germany's pride down to asking for
reciprocity is that which imposes ad-
ditional duty upon sugar. When the
German ambassador requested that
reciprocity negotiations be opened he
was Informed that his Government
must take the first step by agreeing
to remove the restrictions now i'm
posed upon American cattle and beef
imported into Germany.
The administration is doing every
thing possible to expedite the send
ing of food to the Klondike region, as
the President and ali the members of
the Cabinet believe that the relief will
be needed by the gold seekers before
regular traffic is resumed on the Yu-
kon river Agents of the Government
are now bringing a number of rein
deer from Norway to carry the food, |
which will all be ready and on the
ground when the reindeer get to
Alaska.
There is probably no provision of
Io Of fIo Init Ctofo
that furnishes more proof of the wis
dom of its makers, or that is more re
vered by our people, than that which |
provides for our judiciary system.
But nothing suits the Populists, ex-
personal notoriety or gain for them
selves, and Senator Butler, of North |
Carolina, who aims at being the Pop |
ulist boss, wants an entirely new ju- |
dietary system, the Judges to be elect
ed for terms of eight years, and has |
offered a joint resolution proposing to
amend the constitution in accordance |
with his ideas. There isn't the slight
est probability of any such change |
but that it should be even proposed is |
a warning to the country of what |
might be expected should the people
ever allow the Bryanites to get on
top.
During the three days that the SEN |
ate was in session in the week lust |
closed President Mckinley sent more
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