The age-herald., 1898-10-13
PLANS FOR RULE OF
 OUR NEW DOMAINS

United States is soon to take possession of but of Cuba as well. It is said that the date had not been fixed upon for this ach upon our part when the president left, but that the details would be arranged as soon more probable date for taking possessloa of the custom houses of the islands is December 1. Some time ago it was said that the president had come to the conclu- sion that the Spanish were delaying mat ters in order to take advantage of the customs which very heavy at this time. owing to the long blockade, which had been established over the islands This deter imitation to take possession of the custom houses will not be accompanied by notice to General Blanco and to General Macias that they must gut the islands by that time, for the president does not care to seem unreasonable. but at the same time it is believed that with the custom houses in the possession of Americans it will not take long for the Spanish officials them selves to leave the islands. It s the next step to ordering General Blanco and Gen. eral Macias to pack their trunks and go.
 The administration intends to apply the revenues received under its Jurisdiction to the internal improvement of the island of Cuba. The revenues for the next six or eight months will be exceptionally large. Cuba not being our property these revenues n n tO mi use of them to meet our own army ex- penses on the island, but holding the islands in protectorate we will have the right to use the revenues received for the good of the island. From the very first they will be applied to cleaning the city of Havana and restoring sanitary conditions in other seaports.
 The treasury officials are now busily en- gagged in arranging a tariff code for Cuba. Under the present laws governing the en- trance of goods nto Cuba the differential is all in favor of Spain. The present tar fe is almost prohibitory to other nations. This will be done away with at once and uniform tariff put into operat on.
 It is believed that Spain will protest against taking the custom houses til after the evacuation of General Blanco, as it is natural that the Spanish merchants should want to enjoy ths differential duty, in their favor, as long as possible As soon as this government assumes charge of the custom houses it will mean that all Spanish sovereignty on the island is dead. The revenue officials which are the mosE privileged class the islands at present. will be amenable to laws and military restrictions and no longer able to salt into their own pockets a portion of the revenues as they have done for years. The pres- dent is resolved upon this course and W Il brook no delay.
 The republican campaign committee now comedies an increased democratic minority in the next house, but says it has no fears that the democrats will gain the majority. Every report which comes to both the dem- ocratic and republican committees shows that the democrats will make large gains in all sections. The republicans had hopes of holding their own in the west, but even here the democrats seem to be gaining an advantage over them. The republicans will hardly hold all of New England, while the democrats expect to carry six or seven dis tricts in New York. New York seats twenty eight republicans. They will possi- bly, retain twenty of these and there is a possibility of their losing more There are now twenty-six republicans and two dem- ocrats from Pennsylvania. The democrats are expecting to increase their two to five or six. It is believed the democrats will recover all but one of the districts in Ken- lucky and get several districts in Nary land The democrats will almost certainly reclaim all their old doubtful districts and be almoost solid again in the Fifty-sixth congress.
 In the present house the republicans have a majority of fifty-six over all combina- tions. It is hardly possible to overcome this majority unless the unexpected happens, as it often does in an off year. There seems to be little doubt however, that this will be reduced to a very small majority. The democrats have good fighting chance, and from now until the 4th of November may make it still better.
 The inmates of the white house will not throw the executive mansion into mourn- ing this winter on account of the death of George D. Saxton, who was killed by wo- man whom he is supposed to have wrong- ed It is understood that the president never countenanced this life of his brothers in-Iaw, and at times in the past has req fused to have anything to do with him or, account of the life he led. The McKinlevH are as a rule very cannish, and had any other member of the family met with such a fatal ending the president would have doubtless thrown the whole of the official society of Washington into semi-mourning. People may have as many theories about Washington life as they wish, and the old residents here may continue to claim that the white house is no integral part of Washington society, still, when the white house doors are closed, while the inmates mourn, there is precious little left to the gaiety of the capital.
 It is true that the presidential family mingles very little in what is known here as society, but it is nevertheless true that he and his family are important factors in social life With the president,s family in