The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-03-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent,

week in Washington have been the har-
of the warning factions of the
republican members of the House of Rep
the energy with which the
democrats in the Senate have renewed
the agitation in favor of the election of
Senators by popular vote and the ratifi-
cation by the Senate of the Hague treaty,
at the Hague peace confer
ence and by which it is hoped to make
warfare more humane.
While the terms of agreement between
the beet sugar republicans, as they have
come TO be called, and the republican
of the House have not been
it is believed that they will
bind the party to vote for the Ways and
Means bill granting 20 per cent reduction
of the Dingley tariff rates on Cuban i'm
ports, to be met with similar reduction
on American goods going into Cuba, the
to be limited to September T.,
1903, and the whole accompanied by the
pledge of the leaders that the Senate will
not amend the measure by increasing the
rate or extending the time limit. The
accomplishment of this agreement will
prove disappointment to the democratic
members who hoped to be able to secure,
through the division of the republicans,
some reduction of the tariff on various
schedules. 1t also means, no doubt, that
the bill proposed by Representative Bah.
cock of Wisconsin will not be considered
at this session.
49,
The demand of Senator Berry of Arkan-
sas, for report on the joint resolution
the constitution to permit
of the election of Senators by popular
vote was met with the promise of Senator
Burrows, chairman of the committee to
which the resolution had been referred,
that it would be reported in the near
future, and since then the democratic
senators have been vigorously agitating
the question. Senator Vest of Missouri,
is opposed TO the change and Senator
Morgan of Alabama, declined to tell me
where he stood, but the remainder of the
democratic senators, most of whom have
spoken to on the subject, seem to favor it
and some of them say that they believe ii
will be made campaign issue if the reso.
luton is defeated at this session. Colonel
Bryan was at the Capitol Thursday of last
week and saw many of the senators and
representatives i'll regard to this question
Senator Burrows was in the Marble
Room during Mr.. Bryans cell and the
Colonel remarked to him that he was
glad to know that there was one point on
which he could agree with the Senator
from Michigan. Senator Burrows favors
popular election.
*x*xx
1t is a serious question whether the
Hague treaty promotes the ends desired
1t is favored by many humane persons
because they hope it will make war less
terrible. Others equally humane contend
that the more terrible war is, the more
care nations will take to avoid it, but
there is no doubt that the most humane
motives prompted the senators 10 ratify
the treaty.
*#*x*
Following closely upon the resignation
of Secretary Long comes the announce.
ment that Civil Service Commissioners
Rodenberg has resigned his position,
presumably for the purpose of entering
the field of active politics. The appoint
meut of Mr.. Rodenberg's successor is
awaited with considerable interest as upon
the personnel of the commission depends,
to very large extent, the effectiveness
and integrity of its work. Mr.. Roden-
berg was never regarded as very strong
advocate of the principles which brought
the commission into existence, but he has
carried out the provisions of the law none
the less faithfully. Messrs. Proctor and
Foulke, his associates. are both ardent
advocates of civil service reform and the
of another enthusiast, which
is expected of the President, will render
the commission greater power for good
than ever.
*x*x*
The Senate has devoted itself all the
past week to the consideration of the ship
subsidy bill. although there is not the
reason to believe that single
vote has been changed by the debate
The measure came to vote on Monday.
After passing the rural free delivery
bill, SO amended as 10 provide for salary
not to exceed 5000 per annum for rural
carriers, the House turned its attention to
the consideration of the postofiice appro-
priation bill and passed it on Friday
Saturday was devoted TO the passage of
private bills. This is the sixth appropria-
ton bill that the House has disposed of
this session. A resolution was adopted
by the House on Friday authorizing the
President to invite the families of the
Count de Rochambeau, and the Marquis
de Ia Fayette, and the people of France
to be present at the unwilling of the statue
of Rochambeau at Washington on May
24th, and appropriatiug gao, 900 to defray
the expenses which would be incurred.
*e*#*
The Presidents veto of bill removing
the stigma of having been "a deserter
from the navy" from the record of John
Glass, his first veto, by the way,-has
caused geHeral reconsideration of similar
bills in the committees of Congress.
These bills first provide that "honorably
discharged" shall be placed after the
same of men who have deserted, and
sooner or later there appears another bill
the former deserted a pension.
Many of these bills have been passed in
former years and the President doubtless
realized that the veto Of the first such bib