The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1901-11-30
Washington, ID. e., News.
From our Regular Correspondent.

The much vaunted Reciprocity
Convention, the convention which
was to settle all the Presidents
doubts, to outline a policy and
serve as a guide to the Republi-
cans in congress in their handling
of the reciprocity question, has
come and gone and all that it has
done is to leave behind it the
mangled remains of President
McKinley's broad-minded policy
and q young man in the White
House sadly disappointed and
mortified at the sordid narrow
mindedness which made it impos-
sible for the leading Republican
business men of the country to
take any broader view of a nation
al policy than that which was
bounded by their own petty in
terests.
There is no promise of any fol-
lowing up Of the policy that Mr..
Mckinley outlined at Buffalo by
the next Congress. The high
protection interests have control
of a handsome majority of the
votes and, with the usual disci-
pline of the Republican machine,
members who come from the
West surcharged with tariff re-
form ideas are promptly and en-
phatically undeceived as to the
complexion of their views and
those of their constituents. The
only cloud on the protectionist
horizon is sugar. The sugar trust
wants free raw sugar and | under
stand that Mr.. Havemeyer has an
nounced that Cuban sugar will be
admitted free. This and similar
rumors will not down and they
almost cause Mysteries among
some of the Eastern protection
interests.
There is not perfect harmony
ON the Republican side, however.
The Reform Club of New York
has been unkind enough to sub
nit to the President a document
in which it is shown that the
Hanna-Frye ship subsidy bill, if
it had passed the last congress,
would have converted practically
two-ffths of the entire subsidy
into the Golfers of the Interna-
tional Navigation Company and
most of the balance would have
been paid to three other compa-
nies. Not only is this an argu-
ment against the ship subsidy bill
as it was submitted to the last
congress, but it has shaken the
faith of the President and a good
many Of the members of congress
in tha absolute disinterestedness
of the promoters of the bill. The
bill has proven d dead load from
| it's inception. Never has it been
possible by the most specious ar
guments to arouse any enthusiasm
in regard to it among the people
and the representatives who will
have to 60 to the people for re-
election are protesting against the
party lash which is being used to
make them vote for the obnoxious
measure.
There is likely to be an inter-
esting contest among the demo-
Gratis for the vacancy in the Com
mittee on Rules caused by the
election of Mr.. Bailey of Texas
to the Senate. Mr.. De Armand
of Missouri can have the place
forthe asking as he would receive
the undivided support of the
Democrats, but it is thought that
he will decline as he expects that
the next House will be Democratic
and he desires to be speaker. If
he signifies his declination to take
the position. Mr.. Underwood of
Alabama, formerly the Democrat
| ic whip, will doubtless make a
contest for it, as will also Mr..
/ Swanson Of Virginia. This COM
mittee is the most sought for in
the House, its powers being al
most autocratic.
The Secretary of the Interior
has today given to the public his
annual report. 1t is volume of
| some two hundred and sixty seven
| pages and contains much interest
ing matter, some Of it food for
serious thought. Some of the
pension figures are appalling. The
total number of pensioners on the
rolls June 3Oth was 1,041,321, an
increase for the year of 4206,
which increase the Secretary de-
clares to be the ''high-water
mark" The total amount dis
bursed for pensions during the
year was $138, ,531 ,483.84.
At.the Cabinet meeting on Fri
day President Roosevelt read to
his Cabinet that portion of his
message which they had never
heard before and after consider
able discussion and the making OF
some minor changes he an
nounced that he would submit it
to congress as it stood. In the
afternoon accompanied by his
wife and the younger children he
drove down to the navy yard and
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