Smyrna times., 1885-12-02
For the Smyrna Times
Letter from Washington.

aOSJCA AAUuu w do1l4u2 bUus
In Il little more than a week the
Forty ninth Congress will convene. and
there is hustle of preparation at the
Capitol, putting the building in final
readiness for the event. The work of
cleaning up, repairing and making i'm
prOvements generally has been going
on at the Capitol during the entire
recess. Under the direct supervision
of Chief Clerk TOwles, a new carpet of
original design has been laid ON the
floor of the House. The CARPET was
made to order, and 1900 yards, the
quantity hitherto used to cover the
floor was ordered But with a view to
economy, a design in which the figures
formed "A perfect square was adopted.
A great deal of cutting has to be done
in fitting a carpet to that floor. and as
the square figure made it easy to ioin
pieces and fragments 155 yards were
saved. The desks have all been thor
oughly cleaned, revarnished, etc, and
the guiding and brass work repolish-
ed. The corridor of the members pri-
Vate lobby on the south side of the hall
is carpeted with a magnificent Wilton
rug 100 feet long by feet wide. The
private sitting or retiring rooms, lust
across the lobby, are furnished With
the same heavy and elegant set of fur
niture which was bought for that pur-
pose. 1t is as good as new.
Your correspondent called on Sena
tor Camden at his headquarters at Will
lard's Monday and talked with him
concerning the coming session of Con-
gress, while he looked over his mail.
l do not think" he said "that there
will be any organized opposition to the
confirmation of Mr. Cleveland's ap-
polntments. | think each nomination
will be considered on its merits. and
the republicans as a party will not
make any opposition. | think we are
going to have quiet, hard working
session."
Will not the democrats oppose some
of the nominations ?" | asked.
''As to that, can't say. have not
talked with any of the Senators. and
don't know just what the feeling is.
There has been some complaining, but
we i'll West Virginia have no cause for
dissatisfaction. The party is not quite
pleased with the matter of appoint
ments, but we are ourselves in great
measure to blame for this. We have
agreed always upon what ought to be
done. 1t will finally be seen, think,
that this is "A good democratic admin
istratiOn, and the party will have no
cause to complain. Ina year from now
all the republican officials will be out.
and the party will see that the Presi-
dent is good democrat and has acted
wisely"
What important matters do you ex-
pect to be considered by Congress this
winter"
There will be some action taken
with regard to the tariff and the silver
questions. | think there will be n re-
ductiOn in the tariff and a modification
OF the tariff laws. On the silver Ques-
ton there will be some compromise.
Nothing will be done that will iniure
the standing of silver as money, but
there will be n proper adjustment
The question will be handled in con
servative way, and, if it is necessary to
suspend silver coinage for while, it
will be none in way not to affect the
standing of the metal"
The movement to amend the House
rules will, it seems from interviews
with senators, get considerable support
from the Senate end of the Capitol, for
the reason that the present rules are
drawback to the transaction of business
between the two houses. The proposed
change is also popular at the House
end because it tends to equalize the in
dividual influence Of members. From
its great power in controlling expen-
ditures the appropriations committee
has come to be regarded as practically
the real House, whose DEGREES the rep
resentatiVes accept as matter of
course, 1t seldom happens that the
committee is beaten on the floor, though
its budgets are often unpopular. So
great Is this power that it has come to
be understood, in placing members in
the organization of new congress,
that simple membership on the appro-
priatiOns committee, is equivalent to a
Craftsmanship of any other committee.
except that of ways and means. Under |
the new dispensation this scale of i'm. |
portance would be altered, and it is |
quite likely that the ways and means |
committee would regain its former |
standing as the leading committee of |
the House.
There is some talk Of Mr.. Daniel
Reeder, of Pennsylvania, as q candi.
date for doorkeeper of the House. and
u Is understood that he is supported bv
Representative Curtin. But Mr.. Reed |
er's candidacy, like that of several
Others, scarcely creates a ripple unon
the surface. 1t is regarded by most of
Jhe members now here as too LATE for
new man to take the field with anv
sort OF hope of success. NOTHING has
yet occurred to change the probabilities !