Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-03-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.

"00nAN04SN AC4 LEW.
Who wrote the Porto Rican tariff bill?
nobody. Like Topsy, it
just grew. AT least no one will acknow-
ledge its paternity. Representative
Tawney is the only one who claims to
know its origin, and he seems only to
infer it from something that the presi-
dent said to him. Nevertheless, he as
serts positively that it was written by
Secretary of war Root, and infers that
the president knew of the fact at the
time. Even democrats have not ven
tured to bring so serious charge against |
the president as Mr.. Tawney has half
admitted-that, secretly favoring the
bill, he tried to make the house republi
cans take the responsibility of its intro
duction and passrge. 1t is known,
however, that there was good deal Of
heated talk at the White House the
evening before the bill was passed, and
that the president was very reluctant
to come down from the fence and get
into the open on one side or the
other. The truth is that he and all
his party made mistake in sacrificing
duty and justice and honesty to politi-
cal expediency. The almost universal
chorus of disa pproval from the country
has thrown them into veritable panic
At least fifty members of the house
have hurried home to explain to their
outraged constituents their course in
voting for the bill. Men who consid-
cred themselves absolutely safe for re-
election are now shaking in their boots,
and rivals are springiug up all over
their districts: The worst of the posi-
tion in which the party finds itself is
that it must go on. Even William Nc
Kinley cannot change sides again, as he
would doubtless like to do. Senator
Davis has introduced an amendment
calculated, as he fondly hopes, to undo
all the harm done by the bill and yet to
achieve all the objects proposed by it.
Naturally he will fail.
The weakness of the gold bug asser-
lions that government can never fix
the standard value of silver and gold,
was recently made plain in the house.
Repr esentative Payne, of New York,
arguing on the Porto Rican bill-to
which all discussions seem inevitably
to turn nowadays asserted that Presi-
dent Mckinley had raised the value of
the Porto Rlcan peso from 40 to 60
cents? Upon this q democratic men,
Der asked him why, if this were so, the
United States could not raise the value
of its own silver dollars. Mr.. Payne
WAS at q loss for an answer The same
question, or one like 1t, is now to be
|judicially determined in the courts. The
law provides that imported art cles shall
be appraised in the money of the coun-
try from which they come; it also pro-
vides that the director of the mint,
four times each year, shall determine
the value of all foreign coins in the
currency of the United States. A merch-
ant in Boston imported from India a
quantity of merchandise, which was ap-
praised by the custom house officials in
rupees, which are the silver coins cur.
rent in that country. The British gov.
eminent has recently fixed the value of
the rupee at 1922 cents. But It's silver,
or bullion value, as fixed by the director
of the mint is only 81 cents. The Bos-
ton man figured out that his duties
would be abut 35 per cent less under
the valuation of the director of the
mint and he rendered this amount.
This was refused by the collector, and
the case has been taken to the courts,
who will determine whether Great
Britain can fix the value of her silver
coins.
Attorney General Griggs is being bit.
terly denounced by architects and build
ers all over the country for having Sc
lected personal friends OF his to design
and build the new penitentiary at At
lanto, Ca, instead of selecting them
through open competitions. Az rule,
all government work has to be adver-
tised and bids made and opened in the
regular fashion, but by some oversight,
this provision was omi ted in the sun
dry civil act of last year, which made
100000 available to be expended for
the purpose under the direction of the
Attorney General. Consequently, Mr..
Griggs has refused to allow any one
without strong political influence to
compete for the work on the building.
AS result, the government will pay
about three prices for its work.
! HDmeseekers Excursion Tickets
TO nearly oil points In the United States on sale
at all ticket Offices of the Chicago Great West
ern Railway on the LIST and End Tuesdays of
February. March and April at the very low
homeseekers rate of one fare plus 81 for The
round trip. Tickets good for return within q
days from date of sale. Persons contemplating