The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-03-18
Washington Notes.
The Fitz John Porter BilI-tiossip Con-
cerning It.-WiII the President sign the
BilI-Ss the Civil Service Law ConsfitH-
tiOnale
ecial Corresp lndepce of the Press.)

Especial Corresp jndence of the Press)
WASHINGTON, March IA.
The general impression is that the President will
sign the Fitz John Porter bill. Although a very
largo proportion Of the of his parry voted
against it, those who know him and his feelings and
views upon this and other topics, say that he will
sign. at least will not veto it. Perhaps he may
permit 1t to become law by expiration Of the limit
The hearty endorsement of Gen. Grant. both before
and after the passage of the bill will doubtless have
astr0ng influence with the President, while the
fact that Senator Sabln, the chairman Of the Re-
publican National Committee, supported the bill,
Will not lessen the likelihood of the Presidents
consent to its becoming a law Senator S4bin's
course in supporting the bl in the face Of almost
the entire party membership in House and Senate,
evokes good deal of comment here. The fact is,
however, that the Senator had long ago expressed
hlm, eli as believing that Porter was wronQed and
olgot TO De righted in this way ami with his usual
vigorous Independence of thought he voted as he
oeheVed refusing to permit his pO-ition chair
man OF the National Repub lean Committee to al.
Ieet MS views OF bis duty. Chatting with yrur cor
respondent yesterday, regai ding the criticism which
his course had created. be sad that II his action
was to be construed viol alton of party fealty
ahd especially on account OF his official connection
with the National Republican Committee, he would
sa frankly that his vote was giyea IA aseorffancs
ISde many months before his election, aud eOnse-
quentlv without he least expectation of ever being
called upon to vote this question, and that his
v"te was simply given as his own and not in any
sense should it be Influenced by any ofic, connec-
tim with the committee. IL he was expe tied to
abandon bis dividuality Independence Of action
Tor the privilege of as uInipg the addi NAL burdens
OF the en- nurmanshlp of the national committee or
any other position, the parties entvrt aiming this
idea would find it an entirely mistaken imp ession
he would always hold bimself responsible to his
constituency Tor any vote action, but oul not
be held responsible an ial of the national
committee for the exercise of personal CONVICTIONS.
Wlshlng IL distinctly understood that IN wise Is
his action to be construed a committal Of or
oarrassment to the eommiLtee the party IL repre-
sents.
FITz JOHN PORTER.
General Porter is not the decrepit worn-out,
poverty-stricken old man that you wouid naturally
expect in who has been SO long before the pub
lie and so piteousy pictured as an object for ma
tional charity. He owns house at Long Branch,
one among the many handsome and costly build
ings there, occupying it every summer and some
times In the winter as we'll. 1t Is but short dis
tance from General Grants cottage, and that of
George Washington Childs, and is pointed out 20
every passer as one of the. interesting landmarks
oI the place General Porter has spent some time
mere this wiHter. lie is man perhaps 90 years OF
age WIN slight, well-knit form and erect soldierly
bearing q tull black eye, iron-grry hair and grey
moustacne and side VIII skers, face marked Witk
lines OF thought and intelligence and one which
impresses You as that of who feels himself to
nave Ueen greatly wronged and disgraced
wHIsKEY AND POLITICS.
Nsto JULIUS AdCb tHtb luo rus OF Jne WniB-
key bill find greater diff Guilty in getting votes in
the States where they expected the strongest sup
port while from the States where prohibition is
strong element they promised larger number
of votes than they had anticipated ''In the North
west," said General Meg bbon Of Kentucky TO
your correspondent, eve get stronger suppor
than we had anticipated. Take Ohio, IlliDois.
Michigan, Wisconsin, and even prohibition Iowa
and the Democrats from hese States are reS~y 10
vote soil ty ia support of our BILL IL is in the
south and South vest that we are disappointed
We Dsieved that we should have the strength of
that section and without sskiug. We hnJ. now
| ever, hat We were very mucn mistaken Take
ts lexss, ami ARKANSAS, and Georgia for instan 9.
tne members from those sections seem to be sfraid
| TO help us They think their support OF the b II
would endanger their stanoi,g at home in some To-
cal optlon precinct or sOmethi of that sort %
do you think the bill viii pass General?,
II think its chances fair if we can bring
| those people who ought to vote with us and
upon whom we have relied we ought to pa. 8 it. and
II not we probably will not If they fail us how
ever, ne saii as a light gleame in his .ye, If
thsy Iall us however great many of Them will SIT
az home when the next Congress eonvsnes"
| vote? -ePN''e"N
mo, the question is becoming more and mora
prty issue, and ranging telr beside the tariff BILL
me me opposition Of Mr. Rand al and his followers,
me ttrln oIL kamdal Is using IL for -
fte nas 6igher and more Important objsct I'M view
s19 % Is making use OF This to accomplish purposes
L IA.
WI succeed no man Can tell at present."
-. WhAt Is there in the charge that Speaker Car
hsie failing to give the bill mis- aid and suppor Sn
| 90 thing He is doing all that could be- asked
Sas position IS very peculiar one aid he cannot
au0rd IN justice TO himself his party or his posi-
| tlon t. do m IRE than he is now doing We have no
/ BILL" 00NAso On sn0
IS THE CIVIL SERVICE Law CONSTITUTIONAL.
1t is whispered in official circles here that the
constitutionality of the cival Service Law is seri
ously doubted. prominent official Of the Treas
ury Department said recently that the cabinet on
GERS had been discussing the question Of late among
themselves and some Of them have been expressing
the opinion that the law will not stand the tests Of
the courts shOa& 1t ever be brought 60 the atteu-
ton. "Of course" he said "we cannot afford n
make any fight Of this kind now. 1t would iniure
our party and its prospects and do no good any wav
50 nothing win be done in regard to it at present IL
would not be at all surprising il the matter should
oe ElVen me attention later on. The best lawyers
IN the Cabinet believe the law Unconstitutional and
TINS view is not BY aay means confined to them.'