Show THAT TARIFF ISSUE ways and means committee makes slow progress ON SOME SO ME reductions why general schenck does not visit alie capitol what the mccalib investigation vesti gation will from our regular correspondent washington march 14 the majority of the ways and means committee do not seem to bo making any progress toward the settlement of the sugar question and the prospect of any tariff legislation this session is regarded as gloomy the coro mitte will doubtless report a bill of some sort to the house but there is a very general doubt whether they can frame one that will stand much show of becoming law it is understood that four of the lican members of the committee are in favor of reporting a bill with free sugar and a bounta as one of its features one member is opposed to any cut at all in the sugar duty one wants a small cut and no bounty and two want tto make a heavy cut with no bounty with matters in this condition the proposition to leave the matter for settlement in the honec ia receiving serious consideration though in tins case enough democrats would probably vote for free sugar in the committee of the whole to put the clause in the bill and all voting against alic whole bill in the house with the assistance of seven or eight sugar men on the republican side would probably defeat the whole measure the question of how lucli reduction the revenues will stand is one there is dispute upon ahn suspension of the sinking fund act will save about forty three million cf regular annual tion which in the ordinary state of affairs permit at least that much reduction of revenue but it is believed that the new pension legislation will make more alian this and leave the revenues short of course all the pension legislation that is being pressed cannot be passed to pass half of the bis bills of this sort would make additional dit ional taxation necessary but it is thought eliat the batch ot general pension bills will be boiled down to a limited service pension bill giving pensions to all soldiers who have reached the age of sixty two it is believed that such a bill will become a law and the estimate is that it would take annually though it might not take more than half that the first year this would make any reduction of the revenue out of the question this situation seems to reduce the chances for alie enactment of any tariff law by this congress A member of the hou o recently asked general schanck eliy he never saw him at the capitol the old veteran replied 1 I will tell you what I 1 told mr randall when he was and asked me the same question if a gentlemen invites me t call at his house to pay him a social visit and accepting cep ting I 1 called at liis door and am met by a servant to whom I 1 am know personally erso nally with alie announcement cry glad to see you but before you can come inside please write me a letter stating that you will not take any improper liberties liber with the servants or steal anything how do you suppose a gentleman with any self respect would act why make himself very scarce alien and and that is exactly a similar case under the rules of the house a list of persons mentioned are oc corded admission to the floor at all times but immediately after the mention of ex member is the following who are not interested in any claim or directly in any bill pending before congress there is no requirement other than that and the action of the doorkeeper is extrajudicial there should be ome other way to weed out the goats than that now in force without authority of rules if goats there are general schenck is one of the few historical figures left us born in 1809 he was a member of the twenty eighth congress and from that day to the present lie has filled many positions of honor and trust tj the credit of himself and his country as soldier statesman and diplomat such a man should be a welcome visitor in uither end of the capitol for the history of half a century is to him but one epitome of his life whatever may be the result of the mccalib investigation it will serve the purpose of directing attention as did the case of private Wildin tho anav to the difficulties under which american seamen and soldiers labor it has been a matter of speculation for some to themay the american does not readily take to the army and navy and the fact that these two important branches of the government have been compelled to draw heavily on the foreign born element for recruits has excited general comment at home and abroad recent developments ia both the army and navy suggest reasons which are not at all creditable to our manner of treating the subordinates in these two branches the american will not make a good soldier or sailor as long as he ia mistreated there must be discipline but there is a vast difference between discipline and brutality perhaps the investigations row in progress will have a beneficial effect in the premises senator dolph and his committee might as well liobe the sky to discover where the rain leaks through as to attempt to learn from senators and correspondents how secret session news slips through the cracks |