The Portland daily press., 1874-12-18
Washington News and Gossip.
THE MORMON QUESTION.


One of the first cases to be disposed of by the
Elections Committee is that of delegate Can
non, from Utah. Some of the members OF the
committee are fully conscious of the impossl-
bility of any solution of the Mormon prooiem
by the courts or by legislation, SO long as Con-
grcss allows one of the most Objectionable OF
the polygamists to sit as a delegate in the
House. One or two Republican members last
winter took the responsibility of keeping the
question from before the House by refusing to
vote for a report from the commi ttee, which
would bring the case before the House on its
merits for decision. The case must this winter
be reported, and members will be compelled to
been elected to the Honse the only effectual
way to dispose of him is thought to be by a law
prohibiting any bigamist from being received
as delegate or member of the House.
NOT DEMOCRAT.
Senator Schurz says with regard to the sena-
torial question in Missouri that he cannot ac-
cept regular Democratic nomi nation. even it
it were rendered to him. His language on the
point is: Chow can any man with common
sense expect me, with my principles, to support
the Democratic party? Can do such thing
with my record-sacri6ce my whole career for
the sake of seat in the Senator?
TOM SCOTS RAID.
COL Thomas A. Scott is very active in press
ing his Kansas Pacific Subsidy bill. He is now
paying court to the Democratic senators in the
hope of inducing some of them to support his
scheme 1t was said among senators to-day
that among the Democrats in the Senate who
could be counted on by Mr.. Scott are Mr.. Bogy
of Missouri, and Mr.. Kelly of Oregon. Some
of the Southern Democratic senat ers are not at
all sound, in party point of view, on the
question of internal improvement and subsi-
dies, and it is from these that Mr.. Scott expects
to gain support. A senator, however, said We'd
nesday that he did not believe that all Mr..
Scots eloquence would conquer any Demo-
Gratis beyond Messrs. Kelly and Bogy, and per
haps one other, although, as the senator SAID,
Mr.. Scott had been very lavish in promising to
take up and lead connecting lines in the South
in case his bill was put through. 1t is said
among railroad men here that the recent cap
ture of the Northern Central Railroad By Col.
tinuous line from New York to Philadelphia
through the Southern states to the racine
coast.
g~e @ POLITICAL
The " ashington special to the Springfield
Republican says: "The Cabinet and the lead
ing Republican Congressman are holding secret
meetings to invent policy to save the party.
There is real alarm and anxiety for the future
all along the line, but dense ignorance in many
cases as to the true means of restoring public
confidence The leading Republicans, howev-
err, are feeling better than they did fortnight
ago. All their advices from home say that the
opposition have lost ground since the elections,
and is still losing it. Some of the clear-headed
Democrats also see this, and warn their friends
that it will not do for them to trust to a mega
tive policy. Vice President Wilson says that
with reform changes in the Cabinet, and a good
candidate in the field, the Republicans can cas-
lily win the race in 1876 bat Henry Wilson is
sometimes a little too sanguine. 1t cannot be
denied, however, that the prospects OF the Re-
publicans are improving.
There is growing faith in reform currency
legislation. The Republican leaders are deter
mined to force it if possible, and the Initiation
lists are Welding. The Dem ocrats still fight shy
of the issue,