Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 May 1898 — WASHINGTON GOSSIP [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WASHINGTON GOSSIP

Responding to a resolution of inquiry in regard to the enforcement of the liquor law in Alaska, Secretary Gage sent a statement to the Senate, in which he says that, notwithstanding the efforts of the department, it is still a fact that the law is openly violated. It has, he says, been reported to the department that forty saloons do business in Juneau, a town of less than 4,000 inhabitants, while in Sitka, which contains less than 1,000 white inhabitants, there are twelve open saloons. “The universal public sentiment in the territory,” says the Secretary, .“is bitterly opposed to the enforcement of the liquor law, nnd the efforts of the officers are met with intimidation, threats of violence and attempts at bribery.” The Secretary closes with the' statement that it is impossible to enforce the present law against the existing public sentiment. • * * Officials of the money order department are somewhat at a loss to understand why a formal prohibition should have been issued forbidding the further exchange of money orders between this country and Spain, except upon the assumption that the order follows some prescribed form previously used. The fact is, there has never been any interchange of money orders between Spain and the United States. The Spanish Government has shared with Mexico'and the South American States the distinction of never having sought to establish a money order system within its own borders, and therefore has never been in a position to negotiate « money order convention with the United States. * • • Patriots in the employ of the Treasury Department who desire to enlist in the army or navy for service against the Spaniards are to receive encouragement from Secretary Gage, who has had a circular prepared to be used in replying to the numerous inquiries coming in from employee of the department throughout the country. It announces that those who desire to leave the service temporarily for the war may be reinstated under existing civil service rules at any tfme within twelve mouths from the date of separation from the service. • • • The model of the battleship Maine which has been on exhibition in the corridors of the Navy Department and has been surrounded by a crowd of tourists almost continuously since the explosion at Havana, has been removed to the basement to be packed for shipment to Omaha, where it will lie exhibited this summer at the exposition. One of the messengers estimates that the model Las been inspected by an sverag? of i,OOO persons a day since the 15th of February. • • * Over GOO doctors have applied for appointment as temporary surgeons m the navy for the war, although for months there have been several vacancies in Ihe regular service which are permanent and carry with them a pension. The difficulty is in passing the examination imposed by thq medical board. It is so severe that few young then can pass it, although there is always an abundance of candidates. • * * Gov. Atkinson of Georgia and Gov. Taylor of Tennessee have both applied for commissions as brigadier generals in the volunteer army and assignment to the command of the troops from their respective States. Both gentlemen express their intention of resigning their governorships if they receive appointments, and they understand that it is necessary for them to do so.

... It has been decided to send the insurgents in Cuba a quantity of muskets and carbines that are stored in the arsenals. They were discarded by the army when the new Krag-Jorgensen rifle was adopted, and are similar to those that have been served out to the militia in the several States. The arms are in excellent condition, although they are not up to date. • • ♦ There is a real estate dealer in Washington named William McKinley. There used to be a real estate dealer here named John Slierman, and he caused his venerable Senatorial namesake a good deal of annoyance. It looks queer to see signboards upon vacant lots offering property for sale or rent by William McKinley. ... In 1861 the postal business of the country had increased from $13,000,000 to $96,000,000 a year, and the last official report of Government disbursements showed that it oost $48,000,000 a year to. transport the mails and $44,000,000 to handle them. The aggregate number of pounds handled is 600,000,000. • ♦ * William Jennings Bryan has written a letter to President McKinley offering his services to the Government in any position in which they may be useful. The letter is brief, but courteous, and asks for any«assignment the President may see fit to give him. , ( Adjt. Gen. Corbin is the busiest man in the department—perhaps the busiest man in Washington— working nineteen and twenty hours a flay to get the volunteer army started and the new regiment of regulars under way. ... Congress had an opportunity to contemplate war from a new point of view when Secretary Alger asked for an ap propriation of $34,019,997.38 to pay the ordinary expenses of the army for just two months. * * » The President has received a touching letter from a gentleman in Richmond, who offers to raise an entire regiment of Virginia colonels, but this has become a delicate subject down in that quarter. ... It is believed in Washington official circles that after the insurgents are fully armed and equipped they will be able to send a force of 50,000 men against Havana. ■■ . The President is beariifg up well under the strain and public receptions have been rcaumed.