Arkansas weekly mansion., 1884-04-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
CFrom our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, d. G., April 8, 1884.
The Democratic House caucus on Tues.
day evening WAS as barren Of results as
were those of the hen setting on nest OF
brickbats. The meeting was called for the
express purpose of whipping into the traces
those Democratic members who had be-
trayed symptoms of hesitation and weak
kneed belligerency on the Morrison bill,
but none of this was permitted to crop out
in the meeting. WHAT Mr.. Carlisle's reso-
luton meant, or what it amounted to II 1t
meant ANYTHING, is one of the inquiries
that are being made by those who voted
for it, IS we'll as those who opposed it. 1t
is enough to say that the caucus added
nothing to the dimensions of Mr.. Morri-
sons presidential boom, nor did it pay him
the homage of agreeing to stand up to the
rack, fodder or no fodder. On the contrary,
it is pretty certain that if MIR. Randall
maintains his ability to keep his forces in
hand. he will be abundantly able to turn
Mr.. Morrson's horizontal twenty per cent
business into most unpleasant Democratic
protectionist perpendicular. 1t was this
that attracted Mr.. Randall to a front seat
in the caucus. and it was this that brought
| out Mr.. Carlisle's non-adjustable, automat-
meant much more fer Mr.. Carlisle than It
did for MIR. Morrison or his horizontal dis
traction. Taking 1t all in all, this tariff
| business in the hands of a Democratic
president-making congress in president
ial year, is proving to be most dismal and
disappointing sort Of material to work up.
for it has laid out cold both tariff and anti
tariff candidates in such numbers that after
all there seems to be no alternative left bat
the old ticket.
By the decisive vote Of 1S5 to S3 the
whisky bonded extension bill was killed
in the House on Thursday, the Sd ult. Mr..
Hewitt, as q model representative Of the
party that never learns and never forgets,
made y most remarkable speech in favor of
the bill, taking the broadest free-trAde
ground, and demanding the abolition of
The whisky tax az measure vitality affect
ing the dearest interests of the whole busi-
ness community. 1t cannot be said that
the vote upon the defeat of the whisky bill
is any indication of the complexion Of the
ultimate rvote upon the Morrison bill, for
many OF the men of both parties who took
morality view of the question and voted
to let the whisky men take care of them
selves, represent diverse sides Of the tariff
bill. Besides, many of the free-trads
shouters fought with all their might against
the bill, fearing that the Fl nal outcome ofits
passage would be the wiping out of the
entire internal revenue tax, including the
system itself. Against this class of repre-
sentatives was another, of which Mr.. Ran
dali WAS one, who believed that the effect
of the success of the bill would be the per-
petuarion of the internal revenue system,
and therefore they opposed it with deter
mined zeal. When the far-sighIe ed leading
political doctors thus disagreed upon the
effect of great politica. measure, the
House thought iG would take the shortcut
and make the whisky fellows pay their
taxes as other people have to pay theirs.
simultaneously with the spasmodic
hoists which Mr.. Biaine's DouuI receiving
in Pennsylvalia, there comes from New
England. we'll as from states farther
west, some very significant expressions
from the public press. Of approval of Mr..
Arthur's administration, with the appeal
to Republicans to refrain from swapping
horses while crossing the stream. That
Mr.. Arthur has broken away completely
from any ties that may have bound him to
the objection bile machine politics of New
York, in which we may say he WAS schooled,
there can now be no doubt, else he could
never have secured the undeniable prestige
of a successful administration that all ac-
cord to him. He has SUI rounded himself
with men who have acquitted themselves
fairly before the public. and who have con-
trIouted in no small degree toward pre-
venting the failure that might have fol-
lowed Mr.. Arthur's sudden accession to his
high office. "Is he honest! Is he capable?
f. he faithful to the public trust!" were
Jackson's rrime test of the aspirant for
public position. Is not Mr.. Arthur both
honest and capable? and has he not been
entirely faithful to the trust which 80 un-
expectedly fell to hims The business in.
terests of the nation have been entirely
safe in the hands of Mr.. Arthur, and he has
shown the courage of his convictions in the
timely obj sctions tha he has made to Ques- |
tionable measures of public policy, as indi- |
Gated by the veto of the River and Harbor
bill in the face of a most powerful congress
sional sentiment. Day by day there are
hatched up new methods, new schemes,
sinister designs upon the surplus in the
national treasury, which more than ever |
require the watchful interference OF an ex-
ecutlve whose acquaintance with political
methods is thorough and whose will 10 pow
erful enough 10 work u successful and ef- |
fective defeat of them. Such are the argu- |
and such the claims made by prominent
newspapers in the country in favor OF re-
tention Of the present administration.
JUNIUS.