St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-10-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington, d. c., Oct. 18th, 1888

and the election OF o speaker and the
organization of the Committees will
probably be accomplished with less
trouble than at any previous Congress
for thirty years. Mr.. Carlisle will be
elected without opposition, and, have
no doubt, has already on paper the ar
rangement of the principal committees
There is no reason why Congress should
not transact considerable business be-
fore Christmas. II it shall succeed in
getting good start it will have time
for more elaboration and debate on the
appropriation bills. The appropriations
to be asked for by the different Cabinet
officers will be considerably less than
has been asked by previous Republican
administrations. Much has been ac-
eomplished in the direction Of economy;
useless employees have been discharged,
leaks have been stopped, and thousands
of dollars have been saved in every
Department. There is no reason why
the debates on the appropriation bills
should consume more than two or three
days each. Heretofore they have been
protracted for week or more and then
hurried through half made up in the
closing days of the session. The de-
lay in the passage of the bills has been
on account Of Democratic opposition to
their extravaganza and the jobs with
which they were loaded. But the Re-
publican minority in the lower house
cannot, without stultifying themselves,
oppose the coming appropriations, for
they will be for smaller amounts than
they have often advocated and voted
for.
All signs point to smooth, business
like session, as far as the lower House
is concerned. There is probability of
considerable agitation Of the tariff ques-
ton, and possibility of surprises i'll the
springing of new issues. The Chinese
question is still unsettled, and the labor
question in its different phases is sure
to come up for discussion.
The Senate will, in all probability, be
a centre of greater interest at the Capt.
toll than the House. Several Republi-
can Bourbon Senators have recently
shown their incapacity to learn or for
get. The deIirium Shermans has also
firm hold on Logan and Hoar. They
will doubtless rave and humble in the
Senate this winter. Not even time can
teach old Senators new tricks. The
Republican party is absolutely without
an issue. Sherman and his imitators
know that the old sectional bloody
shirt romance is more easily EellaShed
and is more convenient for their party
than the hopeless task Of defending its
long record of official rottenness and
corruption.
The even and conservative policy of
the President has left the Republicans
without even the semblance of ground
for objection, and has absolutely forced
them to take up again the bloody shirt.
The President and his Cabinet afford
but little material now for newspaper
gossip. They are eeaseless in their
application to their special duties, and
are giving all their spare time to the
preparation of their annual reports.
President Cleyeland1s candor is re-
markable to say the least, and it is new
at the White House. Hayes was sniff
cling and insincere Garfield was a gush- 1
.4er, profuse in promises; Arthur was
Glignifed and exclusive, but Cleveland
no what some one has called brutally
candid During the last week several
delegations have been told that it was
useless for them to visit the White
House as their wishes could not be
compiled with, and a committee of
Dakota Democrats were very bluntly
informed thata man whom they came
to oppose would receive the appoint
mentshe sought.
Butthe most remarkable ilLastration
of the Presidents candoV is found in
the correspondence that has just been
published, regarding the telephone
suit.
heterogeneous administrations such |
q mistake.as the Department. of Justice
was led into would have been corrected
without publicity or buried in silence,
but the President not only required the
Attorney General aud his solicitor to
,econsider their action but gave the
about it TO the press.
There is something to admire in this
let Of his, as we'll az in the promptnessI
With which Mr.. Garland and Mr.. Goode