The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1901-03-01
(From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON LETTER.

of war taxes the country gets. Tn,
republicans fully intended to Kill
the bill in conference, but wber
they found out that all OF the dem
ocrats in The House, and enough re
Irublicans to make a majority, were
determined to head off that scheme
the leaders at once ordered that q
compromise be patched up in con
ference between the House and Sen
ate bills. That compromise will
not, OF course, in any sense, be 9
democratic measure, but it will
make some reduction in war taxes
that would not have been made, il
the democrats hal been less az
gressive.
Senator Morgan, in the minority
report of the committee on Foreign
Relations on the resolution declar
ing that the ratification of the Hay
Pauncefote treaty is not a condition
precedent to the construction Of the
Nicaragua canal, and that the U. 5.
should proceed with that work re-
CARELESS Of the Clayton BulweI
agreement, which was adversely re-
ported by a party vote, makes the
positive charge that Mr.. Mckinley
caused the resolution to be adversely
reported. Concerning the influence
| of Mr.. Mckinley with the republi-
can members OF the committee, aud
his right to say what is expedient
for them to do, Senator Morgan
said: "This claim was made in
the committee, and his (Mr. Nc
Kinley's) views as to the expedi-
ency Of action were stated as grounds
OF objection to the resolutions.
From this view Of the duty of the
Senate, | wholly dissent" Many
republican senators who have
claimed to be for the Nicaragua ca
nal are now under suspicion. The
claim that action on any legislation,
relating to the Nicaragua canal
while the Hay-Pauncefote treaty is
pending would be discourteous to
England, is very plausible bluff,
but still bluff. 1t has been sue
cessfully used to prevent action at
thi, session Of congress. The Pan
anna canal lobby is trying to do the
rest. Its latest and most important
recruit is member Of the cabinet
Of Colombia, who is now in Wash
ington, seeking to transfer Colon.
bias interest in the Panama canal
to the U. S. government. 1t is not
surprising that ugly stories should
be in circulation concerning this ca
nal business. Senator Morgan
stirred up the republicans by open
ly charging them with having in
tended from the first to kill the Mic
aragua canal bill, saying Of them
and their tactics: "These men are
willing to be kicked and cuffed
about by King Edward VII, and
are kneeling to his every within.
They do not believe the U. S. has
any rights unless Great Britain says
so. | know that the canal bill was
used to influence the election of Mr..
Mckinley, the republicans knowing
all the time that their instructions
were to defeat it in the Senate.
All the extravaganza Of the re-
publican congress is not connected
with big appropriations, although
they make the most fuss and are
naturally heard the most Of. Dur
ing the debate on the General De-
ticiency bill, it was shown that sin
ecures were thick as peas in a pod.
1t was shown that committee clerks,
the moment they do any real work,
use their pull with members to get
extra pay therefor, and that they
have been succeeding in getting
much money in the shape Of gratu-
tiles simply because nobody made
il his business to oppose these petty
raids on the public fund. The
clerk Of one committee claimed,
and will get 81 900 extra for read
ing proof Of testimony taken by his
committee; clerks Of the Pension
bureau, detailed to help the pension
committees, Of congress, are pre-
sented with $500 each in addition to
their regular salaries, and clerks
who have copied a few pages from
the congressional record, in regular
Office hours, are given from $500 to
81 900 each for extra work. A lit
tie dialogue between Representative
Cannon, chairman Of the House
committee on Appropriations, who
reported the bill, and Representa-
tive Loud, Of CAL, shows how care
lessly the items are scrutinized be.
fore they are presented tc the House.
Mr.. Loud: "Who is William l..
Stiles, who is to receive an appro-
priation as = messenger for the Com
mitfoo IN AccoupfsoD NJ Gan