Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1900-12-20
Washington Letter.
(Frcm Our Regular CorrespondenD.
W AsmNGToS, Dec. 10, 1900.

" AoiiANNAN4Nt AfONs w. AtOOs
The senate did not take up the
Nicaragua canal hill today, in accord
ance with the resolution adopted at the
last session, because, with the votes OF
many friends OF the canal bill. the Ship
Subsidy bill was last week made the
regular order Of the senate, The friends
OF the canal bill will wait until the
Hay -Paunceiote treaty is acted upon
before pushing that measure. They
say they have the votes pledged TO pass
it whenever they get ready, and that
there is no reason to rush it now.
When congress is good, it is very good,
and it has been very good indeed since
this session opened There has not
been the slightest wrangle on the floor
or either senate or house, although the
latter debated and passed the admin
istration army reorganization bill, pro-
viding for regular army OF from $4,000
to 100000 men, in the presidents
discretion, which under ordinary cir
cumstances might have been expected
TO have aroused the minority. Doubt |
less the failure of the minority caucus to
agree upon a party policy had some
thing to do with the calmness OF the
debate.
When the senate agreed to vote next |
Thursday on the Davis amendment to
the Hay.Paunceiote treaty, it made it |
practically certain that the treaty would
be ratified. This amendment, which |
was prepared by the late Senator Davis,
is short and merely declares that nothing
in the treaty shall apply to measures
the United States may find II necessary
to take for the defense OF its interests
and the maintenance OF public order.
In other words, the United States will
defend the Nicaragua canal after IL is
constructed. Senator Teller wishes to |
make that fact more conspicuous by
striking out the following sentence in
section 4 article 2 Of the treaty: "No
fortifcation shall be erected command
ing the CANA or the waters adjacent"
aud will offer an amendment to that
effect, but majority OF the senator's
seem to regard the Davis amendment as
all that is necessary.
Congress is likely to find itself in.
yolyed in a financial discussion shortly, |
In connection with an administration |
bill providing system Of coinage for
the Philippines, whore the Mexican
dollar, commercial value 80 cents, is the
popular unit Of value, under the United
States control, as II was under Spanish
control. No bill has yet been intro.
duced in congress- on the subject, but
from talk at cabinet meeting, one is
likely to be that will provide for the
purchase OF silver bullion to be coined |
into peso', or Philippine dollars, each
TO contain about fifty cents worth Of
silver, or little less lhau our standard
silver dollar.
That tho agitation by the dairy
interest was effective was shown by the
large vote, l06 10 92, by which the
Grout bill for tax OF teu cents pound |
on oleomargarne. was passed by the
house. Tne principal argument ad.
yanced for the bill was that it was
necessary to protect the dairy interests
Of the country.
A far-reaching measure has been
introduced by Representative Taylor, OF
Ohio, and referred to the house judiciary
committee. Mr.. Taylor's primary object
was to prohibit polygamy, but inpropos.
ing constitutional amendment ior uni.
form laws on marriage and divorce,
he has gone further. This matter may
BE- pushed At this session, but II Is not
likely to get through, owing to the short
time in which to reach any sort Of
agreement among those who hold widely
divergent opinions, not only ON mar.
riage and divorce, but on the question Of
the wisdom Of a federal law TO deal with
them. States rights are involved in the
last.
The senate committee on military
affairs today began tho consideration OF
the array reorganization bill, passed by
the house laet week The house, with a
view to expediting the measure, made
its bill a substitute Tor one passed by
the senate at the last session. The idea
being that the senate would order the
bill sent to conference Senator Hawley,
chairman Of tho committee, says there
will be no conference on tho bill as Il
now stands that bis committee will
consider 1t, grant hearings il necessary
and then make report In the usual
way. The temperance people are work
ing hard 10 get the atiooted anti
canleon amendment inserted In the bill
by such an overwhelming majority Of
the house, kept in by the senate, but
their success is doubtful, It is openly
charged that many members OF the house
voted Tor tho amendment because the
W. Q. I. U. happened TO be in session
In Washington, and with the hope and
expectation that the senate would cut
Il out.
Representative Hepburn, Of Iowa,
author Of the Nicaragua Canal bill, now
before the senate. has doubts OF the
value Of political oralory In his district.
lie said -Four years ago made sixty
or seventy speeches, and pulled
through with about six hundred ma.
iority. Two years ago, made six or
seven speeches and received three
thousand majority. In the campaign
just closed was sick and did not make
any speeches, and my majority was Eve
thouss nd"
The Investigation OF the eleetion Of