The Press., 1901-06-20
Washington Letter.
Washington, June 17, 1901.

Washington, June 17, 1901.
 The Chinese minister to the U. s. has l been very fortunate in maintaining cor | dial personal relations with both govern ment and people of this country through al the trying times in China, in fact, there is little doubt of his having made | more personal friends in this country than any representative of any foreign country ever did before. But he is now ina fair way to make some enemies. He isestrongly opposed to the re-enactment by congress of the Chinese exclusion law, which will expire by limitation next May, azd is doing some very bold wire pulling to influence senators and representatives against re-enactment. He may find it case of playing with fire. He is accred- tied to the executive branch of the gov erpment, and is very clearly exceeding hss rights when seeking to influence the legislative branch.
 It is understood that the president has been notified that fight will be made in the senate against any reciprocity treaty with the new government of Cuba, the expectation being, now that the Cubans have accepted the Platt amendment un- cdnditionally, that the new government will be established early in next year, aud that it's first effort will be to secure reRiprocity.
 Minister Conger Is in Washington, and hesays he is making preparations to re- tvgn to China next month, which, unless itsis bluff intended to force the hand of tf5 administration, seems to dispose of all the numerous stories giving reasons why this government did not wish MT. C3nger to return to Pekin.
 The postmaster general has refused to comply with the law providing that post nsasters at offices with annual receipts of 500 900 or more shall be paid salaries of $h.OtO year, in the cases of the post masters at Indianapolis and Louisville, because the post office inspectors report ee. that improper methods, principally psIsuading business men to buy large quantities of stamps, long in advance of tfeir use, had been used to temporarily increase the receipts at these offices. The ptstmasters hinted that they might appeal tcithe courts to test the right of the post mister general to set aside a law, and tkat official countered by informing them tIat no appeal to the courts was neces- ssary to establish his right to remove postmasters. And so the matter stands. Senator Allison, who is now in Wash ington, does not think Representative Babcock's idea of removing the duties on sfsel products in order to hit the steel trEst is a wise one, although he admits th8E it has clements calculated to make Rpnlar at first glance. Speaking of rebahla. action of the senate, he said: "If this tariff m alter comes before the senate, we will have to go over the matter very carefully and see whether MT. Babcock's plan will correct the evil he seeks to remedy. I do not think it is a question to be settled off-hand, but l also do not think that the tariff has as much to do with the trusts as MT. Bab- cock supposes."
 The official big head is by no means a new disease in Washington, but the at tack of the new commissioner of patents is unusually bad. In no branch of the government is the expediting of business more important to the welfare of the country than in the patent office. Yet, the commissioner of patents has, for no other imaginable reason than for his own personal convenience and comfort, delib- erately ordered a two-months' suspension of an important branch of the work oi that office, by announcing that no hear. ings would be granted by himself or the assistant commissioner during July and August, aud what adds to the aggrava. tion of the order is that this branch oi the work of the patent office is already iI arrears. The inventors have every right to kick at this injustice, and they will doubtless make themselves heard through their senators and representatives.
 Senator Burrows of Michigan, who will l leges and elections, has long been an ad vocate of the election of senators by the people. He has new idea along that line which he will propose as constitu of congress. It provides that when g legislature fails to elect a senator the governor shall order an election by the people of the state to fill the vacancy He says his idea will merely remedy ar oversight on the part of the makers o the constitution, who provided carefully for meeting failure to elect a president and vice-president, and for filling vacan cies in the house, but forgot about sena tors. He thinks if the amendment were adopted it would seldom have to be put into operation, as it's existence would be an incentive to legislatures to elect sena tors. Senator Aldrich, chairman of tht republican steering committee of the sen ate, which has been credited with the in tention to ignore precedent and the claims of ranking senators, in naming men fol the vacant chairmanships at the next ses sion of congress, who was in Washington on private business, said the story was ridiculous that the committee had nc such right, and that the ranking senator on the several committees would get ev. cry vacant chairmanship, unless he waived his right thereto. This seems to make il reasonably certain that Senator Cullom will go to the head of the committee or foreign relations.
 Tougher Rail.
 Excuse me" said the citizen of the plains, "but didn't we ride you out of