People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 October 1894 — Correspondence. [ARTICLE]

Correspondence.

FROM WASHINGTON. An Interesting Batch of News From the Capitol. From our Regular Correspondent. Washington, D. C., Oct. 19. —Should a rumor persistently circulated in Washington this week prove to have a substantial foundation, the greatest political sensation of recent years will, in the near future, be eclipsed. Its improbability has not prevented lots of people believing that there was something in it. The story, different in detail when told by different people, is substantially that President Cleveland has fully made up his mind to again be a presidential candidate and that he will make a strong bid for Southern and Western support by coming out squarely, either in his regular annual message to congress, or a special message a little latei in the session, in favor of the free and unlimited coinage of silver. It is pointed out by those who would like it that such action on the part of Mr. Cleveland would not offend as many members of his party as his unex peeled and sensational tariff message did in 1887, and that it would gain him many more votes in the West than it would lose in the East, and that it ni”ht be easily made to ap<ear consistent with his previous • i(.‘rances on the subject by pre- ;< ink! it with the statement that Pii-n.a had waited until pa- • 7 • nad ceased to be a virtue i!-- co-operation of Europe ■ < rnments in the inierna- ; i agreement for the coinage sliver, and that he believed hut the time was at hand when \inei ica should declare its fiuan- ; ; ii independence by adopting >i c coinage. It is pointed out j Hiose who are half inclined » accept the rumor as true that. io.->e friends of Mr. Cleveland iave upon several occasions recently, publicly stated dial surer had no better friend than Air. Cleveland. They are disposed to regard these statements i.-> indicating some future action the part of Mr. Cleveland to prove ins friendship for the white metal. A long experience in Washington has cm vine, d your correspondent that consistency never plays any veiy important part in influencing the acts of a politician. Still, nothing but the sending of the message would convince him that President Cleveland will ever advocate the free and unlimited coinage of silver, although it is altogether probable that he may write something that, from his point of view, will be friendly to silver before the close of the coming session of congress.

If it be fair to judge from the talk of the i oliti nans who cornt o Washingion. sugar is very tiuch mixed up in politics iJus ear. The sta ement recent! ■. uade O.i the stump by the vice ■ lesident, luat the sugar trust was about to break up, and that the price of sugar would be lower instead of higher, on account = f the new tariff, was astonishing, even to Mr. Stevenson's party associates. It had been generally conceded, on account of testimony taken by the Senate investigating committee, and of statements made by business i ien to the Finance committee when the sugar schedule of the tariff bill was pending, that the duty imposed on sugar would raise the price from one to two cents a pound, and if Vice president Stevenson can prove to the contrary he should lose no time in doing so, as such proof would be very valuable to his party in the closing daysof thecampaign. The sugar trust, according to the best obtainable information, was never more alive nor more powerful than now. A New York merchant who belongs to Mr. Stevenson’s party was in Washington this week and while discussing the subject he offered to wager five to one, any amount from one to tilty thou» and dollars, that the wholesale price of sugar would be two cents a pound more on the Ist of December than it i» now, but there were no takers; his hearers either’ being of the same opinion, or opposed to netting. • • • Much surprise and more regret has been expressed at the announcement that the army officers now serving as Indian agents are to be returned to their commands and the old system of appointing civilians to be Indian agents resumed. Secretary Lamont gives as a reason

for the change that the! army needs the services of all its officers. It is well known that army officers have never sougf.t to be detailed as Indian agents ; on the contrary, they have dreaded it as a very undesirable berth, but once detailed they have faithfully and honestly performed the duties. The proposed change is regarded as a step backward by the government in its dealing with the Indians, and recalls many of the scandals which were so plentiful when Indian agencies were regarded as part of the political spoils to be distributed after every presidential election, and when unscrupulous men sought the position of Indian agent for the purpose of getting rich at the expense of the Indians. If the old system is to be revived it is too much to expect that the scandals will not also be revived. No scandal has been attached to any Indian agency in charge of an army officer.