Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-03-24
TO REVIVE REVISION.
Cummins' Declare tions Attracting
Wide Attention in East.
CONGRESSMAN BABC0CK MAY LEAD
Look for Appointment of "Stand Pat
ters" on Ways and Means Commit
tee-Scientist Claims Mars Canals
Are Devices to Stay Wind.
[BY H. ]. MAHIN. I

BY H. J. MAHIN.l
Washington, March 10. There |
seems to be a disposition to fan into |
activity the tariff revision fire that had |
been permitted to smolder to the point |
of eXtinguishment, among the politi |
clans in Washington. The recent de-
liverances of Governor Cummins, in
which the statements have been made
that the republican platform in Iowa
in 1903 would indicate no backward
step on the part of the republicans of
Iowa, have attracted wide attention,
in fact, the remarks of Governor Cum
Minis are interpreted by Washington
and eastern politicians as indicating
a purpose to push the tariff modifica-
ton program more actively to the
front than hitherto, even to the point
of making a specific declaration in ia
vor of immediate modification, coup
led with the determination to, under.
take to force the national convention
a year hence to appropriate the tariff
feature of the Iowa platform into the
national platform.
Undoubtedly a strong effort will be
made to get the tariff modification
ball in motion with the beginning of
the fifty-eighth congress. Congress-
man Babcock, it is said, will under.
take to get his bill, introduced early
in the fifty-eighth congress, before
the ways and means committee, and
secure hearings. In the house, how
ever, the chances for action are not
first-class. The committee will likely
be against tariff revision although Mr..
Babcock may be able to get an upper
1 hand and demand that his bill be CIV
en- consideration, as the price for his
| favor.
| Congressman Cannon will have three
vacancies on the ways and means com
mittee to fill, due to the defeat of G..
| w. Steele and the promotion of Con.
gressmen Hopkins and Long to the
senate. 1t is very likely that all of
| the new appointees will be stand-pat-
| tiers, in view of the fact that Mr.. Can
non, is, himself, opposed to revision.
| 1t is not improbable that an Iowa man
may be appointed on the ways and
means committee and in that case it
will doubtless be Mr.. Cousins. Mr..
Cousins tariff views are well known.
He is not disposed to favor tinkering
with the schedules and from present
appearances the only help Mr.. Bah
| cock can hope for on the committee,
is from Mr.. Tawney, of Minnesota
/ However, there is no telling what
/ may be done in the senate. The alb
4 sense of rules may make it possible
to bring up the tariff and debate it,
although even in that event it is ques.
tionaDle if bill could pass. Viewing
the situation in cold-blooded man.
ner, from the standpoint of probable
ity, the chances of tariff legislation
during the first session of the fifty
eighth congress are somewhat remote.
A Washington scientist of some
note, in conversation, yesterday, ad-
4 vanced some ideas that make some OF
the tales of fancy printed in the maya
zines pale into the realm of the hori
Ezontally commonplace. The scientist
takes the view that it is within the
power of man to absolutely contro
the atmosphere, rain, wind, etc. He
says he means just what he says anc
that the time will come when his the
cries will be demonstrated just a.
Marconis wireless across-the-ocear
phophecy has been verified. He says;
81 believe that the so-called canal!
of the planet Mars are nothing more
nor less than a device to control thu
terrific climate of that planet and tina
! the Marsians are in advance of us
from necessity We are only $4,000,
600 miles from the sun. | say only
: because this distance is very insig
: nificant, compared with that of Mars
: which is 141, 100000. II our climate i
variable, what must that of Mars be
MI ;r,
the nearness to and distance from tn
: sun to Mars, when our orbit shows
difference of only 100000 miles. Thi
of itself would show wonderful di1
: ference in the temperature on TIL
planet Mars and that of the earth.
"a careful study of the so-callet
: canals on Mars will demonstrate tn
folly of supposing for moment ths
they are canals. They have every el
: pearance Of being something to chez
). the wind and hold it. They are puffe
!, up just as a bag would be, with it
I mouth toward the wind, and there ar
e other devices by which the air is al
e lowed to escape after, perhaps, bein
/ heated, for if they check and impriso
the atmosphere, why not moderate
y before distributing it? This is done b
e utilizing the rays of the sun, to a d.
e gree which necessity has forced upo
r the Marsians, and we know nothin
= about, but which we will one day b
as familiar with as they are Ho'
= long the present supply {
II combustible matter with whic
IS we keep ourselves comfort
able will last no one has computed
u 1t is well known fact that the cart
> is growing colder, and necessity wi
u soon force some better means of kee
~ ing ourselves from the rigors of IL
a. elements. 1t is my opinion we cou
lc find out that system from Mars
'e we could improve our means of SCI
ing. All the theories about canals,
% that the machines we see, and suppo!
them to be signals, are not in unisc
with sound reasoning. These thini
bear no possible resemblance to an.
n, thing of this kind whenth ey do reser
e, BILE just such appurtenances as Oh
ry might conceive would be constructs
to modify the atmosphere When o
population encroaches more upt
land, then, too, we will be forced
~. ~ have a bride placed upon the atmt