The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-05-18
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent
n O. Nav 1000

three fourths or more of the Kansas
City Convention, but they cannot hide
their fear OF the result OF the plotting
of the antl-Bryan democrats, which
everybody knows to be going on.
Anti-Bryan democrats drop into
Washington and let fall mysterious
hints about great political surprise
that Is going to be sprung on their
party in the near future, and il is
known that conferences is to be held
by them in New York City inside of
ten days; but it is hardly likely that
they expect to be able to keep Mr..
Bryan out of the nomination. What
they are really after is probably to
frighten the Bryanites into agreeing to
a modification of the Chicago platform
especially the I6 to ] plank.
The time within which ratifcations
of the Nicaragua Canal treaty may be
exchanged has been extended seven
months from Aug. 5, next. This act
ion was taken because of the certainty
that the Senate would not act upon
the treaty at this session. AS a leader
who does not lead, Ser ator Jones, of
Arkansas, is shining success. Less
than week after he had publicly de-
clared that the democrats would keep
Congress in session all summer, before
they would allow the propositions
favorably endorsed by the Military
Committee:-to make the senior Mai.
General, commanding the army hold
the rank and draw the pay OF Lieut.
General; to give the Adjutant General
of the Army the rank of Major General,
to increase the artillery branch of the
regular army and to add 100 cadets to
the number now appointed to West
Point,-to go through the Senate, the
bill was passed. Probably because he
saw that his bluff had failed, Senator
Jones absented himself when he knew
the army Reorganization bill, which
contained all of the above propositions,
and more, looking toward the better
ment of our army, was to come up,
and the bill was passed without
division The democrats mustered
eight votes against the lieutenant
generalcy clause of the bill and thir-
teen against the West Point increase,
which convinced them Of the useless
ness of further opposition.
The Senate Naval Committee has
decided in favor of an amendment to
the Naval Appropriation Bill, author
izing the purchase of five submarine
torpedo boats of the Holland type, and
the sentiment in both Senate and
House indicates that the amendment
will go through.
Representative Brosius, Chairman OF
the House Committee on Banking and
Currency, made an interesting state
ment based upon official figures finish
ed by the Treasury Department, on the
working of the Financial law enacted
| by the present Congress. 1t showed
that the total amount Of bonds refund
ed, under that law, up to May 1, was
$260,020,750 upon which the saving
IN interest was $32 2,699,2 ,225 and the
premiums paid $26,034,77I, leaving
the net saving to the government
by refundlng $6,66I,454. The net
Saving represents the difference
between the amount of interest the
government will pay upon the bonds
refunded to the date OF their respective
maturities, and the amount of interest
government would have been oblig-
ed to pay had the bonds not been re-
funded. The report shows that the to-
tai number of applications for charters
| for National Banks, under the new
law, which have been approved, is 244,
with a capital Of $8 100000. The to-
tai number of applications on file for
the conversion of old Banks into Ma
tional Banks, is 382, making total of
all kinds of new bank organizations of
$50. Mr.. Brosius estimates, based up
on their expressed intentions, $12I,-
1888, S58, as the amount of currency
the National banks may issue in. the
near future.
Senator Allison very seldom makes
a statement about the business of the
Senate, but when he does it carries
weight. When asked what he thought.
of the claim OF Senator Morgan that
the Senate would take up and pass the
Nicaragua Canal bill, which was pas
sed by the House last week, Mr.. Aili-
son said: Senator Morgan is very
much IN earnest in this matter, but 1
fear he is letting bis enth usiasm run
away with his judgment.
He is an able man and fine Senator
but'he is not running the u. Senate
at present. The Senate is now in con-
troll OF the republican party, and we do
not propose to allow our fixed purposes
to beseither shunted off on tangent,
or arrested in development. We Nant
to adjourn in six weeks or less time,
and we cannot permit new legislation