St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-12-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
DECEMBER nth. 1888;

s lz.s
The events OF the week at the Capt.
Sol though far reaching and of great |
importance may be briefly summarized.
Hon. John 6. Carlyle, a clear cut demo-
srat, has been elected and installed
Speaker of the House of Representa-
sives. Upon taking the gavel he made
a short speech which has had an effect
TO alIay tue alarm of those who thought,
or pretended to think his election
would presage commercial and indus.
trial ruin.
The picturesque features Of the first
day of the Forty Eighth Congress were
an unusually crowded Capitol, a pro-
fusion Of flowers on the desks of the
more prominent men, and the mutual
recognition and greeting of senators
and members.
Thlrty-two names have been added
TO The roll of the house and this increase
is very noticeable in the crowded hall.
The Democratic frontier has been ad-
vanced far into Republican territory.
The latter apnear to occupy but little
more than one third the space of the
hall.
On the second day the Presidents
message was read in both the House,
and the Senate. The general comment
of members and senators is that it is
conservative business like paper, de-
void Of salience.
Concerning questions OF finance,
which are now the prominent questions
of National politics, the president is
opposed to the rapid extinction of the
National debt.
He wishes the tariff to remain as it is.
He advises further expenditure upon
the Navy and upon coast Notifications
With regard to the civil rights ques-
sioa, he intimates that he will approve
such legislation as may supplement the
guarantees of the constitution in regard
80 the rights of the colored race.
An omission of any reference to the
alleged war of races in Virginia, when
such reference was so earnestly desired
and prayed for by the bloody shirt rem
naut of Republican dotards is the most
emphatic silence in the message. 1t
says that the responsibility, responsible
ity and intelligence of the party are
convinced of the mendaciousness of
of Malone and his desperate following.
Let the bloody shirt howlers howl ever
SO loudly in the future, they will awaken
mo other response than their own echo.
The air is full Of rumors to day re-
garding the appointment of members of
the various House committees. No
definite statements are given out even
by those intimately associated with the
new Speaker. They assert that they
know nothing of his intentions, and that
he has made no promises. An old mem
ber said this morning that the new men
were seeking positions on the ways and
means, appropriations and judiciary
committees in fact that they wanted to
he connected with all of the important
committees.
1t is generally conceded by democrat
Ic members of the House that Repre-
sentative Morrison of Illinois, will be
given the craftsmanship of the ways and
means, and Mr.. Randall that of the ap-
preparations committee. As the associ-
ates of Mr.. Morrison on the ways and
means committee are mentioned the
names of Mr.. Hewitt, of New York ;
Randolph Tucker, Virginia; Curtin,
Pennsylvania Geddis, Ohio Herbert.
Alabama Seymour, Connecticut May
bury, Michigan Cox, New York OF
Hurd, Ohio, democrats, and Messrs
Kelly, Pennsylvania Kasson, Iowa,
and Haskell, Kansas, Republicans.
Those who talk Of Mr.. Carlisle as a
southern Speaker Of an Confederate
house, overlook the fact that majority
.eaf the democratic members are from
the north, The southern states proper
are represented by seventy-five demo
erats, the border states, missouri, and
Kentucky by twenty three, and the
northern states by ninety eight. Ever
classifying Missouri and Kentucky with
the south the democratic representation
would be a ties to 98. Of the votes
that elected Mr.. Carlisle, 35 came from
the north 10 from the border states, and
10 from the south. Mr.. Randall's vote
4af 80 was made up Of 80 from the north
and 90 from the south. So that MI
Carlisle received more northern votes
than did Randall.
A fact worthy of note in regard to the
southern representation, is that the ex