Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 December 1900 — WAS-INGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WAS-INGTON GOSSIP

The census shows that there asa-1,400,-100 more farmers in the United States than there were in 1890. The number of manufacturing establishments reported by the present census is 635,000, as against 350,000 in 1800, but this number will have to be cut down about 85,000 because of the excessive zeal of the enumerators. Perhaps they were actuated also by a desire to increase their compensation. An enumerator receives 25 cents for every establishment reported, and sinee the returns came in a good deal of "padding” has been discovered. For example, when two or more kinds of articles were manufactured by the same person or company under the same roof, some of tlie thrifty enumerators reported two factories and made out two schedules, thus doubling the number of establishments and their own pay. Blacksmith shops and repair shops on big farms and plantations were reported as manufactories, while eagerness to increase their pay and make a favorable report caused many enumerators to exaggerate. A strong effort will be made at tjje coming session of Congress to pass a oill placing the consular department upon a civil service basis, with a longer tenure of office than at present prevails in this much-neglected branch of federal employment. Several bills are pending before the foreign relations and affairs committee of the House and Senate designed to reorganize the consular service, and a majority of the committee members are in favor of reporting tlie Semite bill, which combines the best features. Nevertheless there is powerful enmity toward any legislation affecting the consular service. It strikes at the root of what still remains of federal patronage, and politicians of both branches of Congress are not easily convinced that the best interests of the country are preserved abroad by placing consular agents subject to civil service laws, protected thereby as loug ns they observe their duties and not liable to dismissal at the advent of every new administration.

_ . X ‘ •_ The ceremonies incident 10 the inauguration of William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt as President and VicePresident of the United States next March are to be the most imposing of any ever seeft in the national capital. The ' most pronounced and spectacular feature of the inauguration will he, of course, the parade and the ball. Those who have already interested themselves in the subject say that efforts will be made to make the parade the longest, the biggest and tlie greatest seen in tlie United States since the final grand review of the Army of the Potomac. They point to the fact that it will be much easier to provide a monster military pageant now than at any other time sinee the close of the Civil War. The railroad managers will see to it, it is said, that the lowest fares on record will be made in Order that the greatest number possible will be induced to witness the spectacle. At the time this is written President McKinley lias practically completed liis annual message. The message defends at length the policy of the administration in the Philippines. It calls attention to the progress made in establishing order and good government in the islands, emphasizing the fact that military rule has been superseded by the civil authority of the Taft commission. The message announces the administration’s purpose of holding the islands as permanent United States territory and governing them on the same plan as thut udopted in Cuba. China conies in for lengthy consideration in the message, nnd the policy of the administration expressed in the note to the powers of July 3 is reiterated. This note opposed all schemes of territorial conquest in China. Reference is also made to the trust question with recommendation that Congress take suitable action o\ the subject. The exact vote for McKinley, Bryan and other presidential candidates cannot be ascertained until the Governors of all the States have sent to the Secretary of State at Washington the results of the official count, as required by law. In order that there may bo no errors in the returns Secretary Hay prepared a circular of instructions settiug forth exactly how the compilation should be made nud the form in which it should be recorded. These returns must bo made out in duplicate. One set is sent by mail to the State Department, the other set by messenger to the Vice-President of the United States.' The latter will be opened in the. presence of the two houses of Congress and formally recorded and promulgated by tellers appointed for that purpose. Statements furnished by the Treasury DefKti-tment show that in the period from June 12, 1898, to June 30, 1900, the war revenue net produced $311,144,288. The largest income was from items in schedule“A,” being in round numbers over $75,000,000, In this class were included the tax on telegrams, express receipts, mercantile paper ami taxes on transfers of bonds, stocks, clc. Beer paid n tax of $66,548,107; tobacco, $31,333,256, with additional taxes on those articles of $976,104. Legacies paid $4,119,926, cigars $0,017,883 nnd cignrettes $2,702,313. Schedule “B,” which includes patent * tnedlciurs nnd pioprictary articles, brought iu $0,838,304. Col. Bingham, superintendent of public buildings and grounds, in getting ready to aubmit to Congress plans for the improvement of the White House, nnd an attempt will be made to secure nn appropriation of $1,000,000 to enlarge the present building. It is proposed to enlurgo the present building by the addition of two wings on either side, inclosing a court, with a conservatory and palm garden at the southern end. The present building is to remain very much ns it is, and the wings are to correspond with it.