The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1900-12-28
OUR washington LETTER.
BONE OF THE THINGS CONGRESS IS
DOING IN THE SHORT SESSION.
Several Important Measures Which
Are Now Under COnsideratiOp-A
Gay Social season as Well as .
Busy Time at the Capital.
Especial Correspondence.1

Especial Correspondence.I
WASHINGTON, Dec. cit would seem
that the closing will be as important
and interesting as were the opening
days OF President McKinley's first term
at the White House. When President
Mckinley was inaugurated March 4.
1897, the country was In a condition Of
commercial paralysis, and the people
threatened n revolutionary movement
against Spain. After the work Of the
extraordinary session Of congress call
ed by President Mckinley for the en-
actment of a new tariff law and the
authority which brought us war with
Spain and the long train of exciting
events which gave to u country the
greatest prosperity ever enjoyed by
any people in the world and within %
days Of actual fighting brought us per-
feet success In arms and the acquisi-
ton of Porto Rico, Cuba and the Phil
ipplnes, 1t would seem that there was
little more for an administration to do
in order that 1t might be crowned with
the greatest possible success. But 1t
appears that President McKinley's first
four years Of administration nave much
more in store.
The second term Of q congress 10 al
ways brief. 1t opens on the first Mon
day in December, takes ten days OF
holiday recess and must, by limitation
of the constitution, expire at noon on
the 4th Of March. This gives only
about ten weeks for actual work.. There
are all the great appropriation bills to
be passed yet and some Of the most i'm
portant legislation that has been pro-
posed since the advent Of President
Mckinley. The great tariff law OF
1897 has performed wonders in bring
to home industries, and the CONNER
cial reciprocity provisions made it pos
sible for the president to find many
new markets for American products.
The currency bill fixed the gold stand
ard and placed us among the foremost
OF the civilized countries. The national
banking act perfected our financial sys-
TEN and refunded the government debt
on the lowest interest basis enjoyed by
any people on the face Of the globe
2 per cent.
And now there are before congrsss
two Of the mex greatest measures for
the future prosperity of u country
ever proposed-the merchant marine
and the Nicaragua canal bills. If the
government will only secure the estab-
lishment of a number of new steam
ship lines to u old and all of our new
markets, securing steady and reliable
sailings and low freight rates, we will
not only hold all Of the markets we
now have, but will be able to enlarge
them and increase II exports, which,
remarkable as it may appear, were
larger during the past three and a half
years than during all the previous ex-
istence of our republic. 1t has become
necessary, however, in order to hold
our great export markets and keep I'D
prices for the products of the factory,
the mill and the farm of the United
States, to provide for the shipment Of
Il surplus on the bottoms of Ameri-
can registered steamships.
-
The same Republican principle that
secured the adoption Of the present
tariff law and the financial bill which
fixed the gold standard and secured the
greatly enlarged circulating medium
and brought about the refunding of
the national debt at 2 per cent promises
to secure the adoption of the merchant
marine bill, which will undoubtedly
open up many new markets and give
our farmers and manufacturers great
advantages. The principle involved in
the up%building Of the merchant marine
Is identically the same as that involved
In u American system of tariff pro-
lection. 1t Is said that from 10 to 20
times more people will be directly in.
terested In the building Of new lines of
merchant steamships and their mainte-
nance than were interested in certain
articles protected by the tariff bills of
1883, 1890 and 1897, which protected
the Infant industries" The tin plate,
the plate glass and the beet sugar in
dustries were established and fostered
entirely by the large duties imposed
upon them by Republican tariff laws,
and 1t has been proved by 30 years of
experience-organized efforts constant
ly made ever since the civil war-that
our own lines Of steamships cannot be
established or maintained except
through government support until
there have been found for a period of
years steady markets for our products,
markets which will give profitable EN-.
pIoyment to our steamship lines.
After the adoption Of the merchant
marine and the Nicaragua canal bills
the Republican party and the Republic
an administration and congresses will
ha I'VE faithfully fulfilled all of the prom
ises made In the platforms adopted at
st. Louis and Philadelphia and the sub
sequent presidential campaigns. There
is little doubt of the early final adop-
ton of the merchant marine bill. The
adoption of the Nicaragua canal bill
has all along depended upon the rati-
fication OF the treaty with England,
providing for the neutral and peaceful
control of the proposed waterway.
Washington will not only be a very
busy place until the 18th Of March, on
account OF the very important measures
before congress-. but II will 10 a COW