Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-12-05
OUR CAPITAL LETTER.
lcoRREsPoNDEsCR OF THE APPEAL. |


OUR CAPITAL LETTER.
lcoRREsPoNDEsCK OF THE APPEAL
WARRINGTON, December 3.-Next to In.
dianapolis Mr.. Hendricks was better
known in Washington than any other
city in the United States. 1t was here |
that he first became prominent. He was
first elected to the House of Representa-
tives IN 1851, and again in 1858, serving
two terms. In 1854 he was appointed |
Commissioner of the General Land Office, |
serving in that capacity til 1859. He was
sent to the Senate in 1868. The entire
city is in mourning and the public build |
ipgs are tastefuliy draped, the White
spect, end the broad swathes of velvet
and crepe look richer than they did when
Gen. Grant died. At the Smithsonian
Institution the American insignia foats
from the highest brown stone tower,
bound in black crepe, which makes it
very effective between the broad red
stripes. Comment is excessive and varied
here as to the full effect of Mr.. Hendricks's
death on the administration of the
be briefly defined. 1t is pre-
cisely es it was after the death
OF President Garfield until the Senate was
convened in special session by Mr.. Arthur.
At the close of the special session of The
Senate in 1881, Mr.. Arthur who, as Vice
President held the chair, der'i- g.,
10 low 0rdt the unOfoke- precedent and vacate,
that the Senate might elect
President pro tetnpore. At that time the
Democrats, by the withdrawal of Platt
| and Conkline, were in temporary ma
jority, and if an opportunity had been
| given by Mr.. Arthur's vacating the chair
Mr.. Bay ard would have been elected Pres
ident pro tempore. Thus it happened
that after Mr.. Garfeld's death there was
no President pro ternpore OF the Senate,
end had Arthur died or become incapaci-
| tated from acting President, there was no
officer under the constitution or the
law who could succeed him, and
| thus the government would have
been left without a head until the Senate
met and elected a President pro tempore.
| That is precisely the situation to-day.
| Mr.. Hendricks when the Senate adjourned
| last spring followed the example set by
| Mr.. Arthur and refused to vacate, and no
| President pro tempore was chosen. 1t is
not SHOWN what reasons Mr.. Hendricks
| had for this, but he has been very severe
l ly criticised for it. Senator Jones of Ar
kansas recently said to your representa-
tive: II cannot admire the course of Mr..
| Hendricks in preventing the Senate from
| e!eciing President pro tempore. l was
| very much astonsht when he remained
in the chair until the adjournment, and
4 cannot but condemn it. When Mr.. Arthur
| did the same thing the Democrats were
Mortified, and the fact of this precedent
hardly justified Mr.. Hendricks in adopt
| ing the same methods"
| Something should be done this winter
| with the Presidential and electoral count
bill. The government has been warned
very repeatedly of the urgent necessity
| for adopting fuller and more specific pro-
visions for the filling of the executive
chair in the case of the death OF the Pres
ident and Vice-President. But to say that
| the government would be thrown into
confusion by such casualty is idle talk.
In the event of there being no authorized
Executive the Secretary of State is en-
powered to issue a proclamation for
special election, to be held within sixty
days thereafter, and in the meantime there
is no reason why the sffairs of the nation
should not proceed smoothly, just as they
do when tie President is absent from the
city and transects no public business.
THE PRESIDENCY OF THE SENATE.
MIR. Hendricks's death has given rise to
speculalions and surmises as to the proba-
BILE cnoice OF the Senate for President, as
the selection is invested with consit erable
Importance. Friends of Gen. Logan think
that Edmunds should stand hack for him,
as he was the choice of the Republic an
party for Vice President, and it would be
only proper for him now to have the place
for which he was the party nominee. Il
is well known that the office is distasteful
to Senator Edmunds, although he is by far
the most eligible man for the place. He
is constitutional lawyer of rare ability
and an exec lent parliamentariap, and is O
/ NJ vId nj HIS
selection would probably best suit the
Democrats. Logan is hard worker, but
he scarcely has the knowledge of par
liamentary law or the administrative
ability requisite for the position. How
ever, few days more will decide the mat
ter, and speculations are useless.
THE SENATE IN 1887.
| Mr.. Hepdricks's death will have most
important bearing on the political COM
plexion of the Senate after 1887. In case
tie vote is cast it would give the Senate
to the Democrats. A net gain of four seats
by the Democrats would to-day tie the
Senate, and if Vice-President Hendricks
were living he would have the casting
vote. Now, in order 70 regain the Senate
the Democrats rust have five more seats,
and the probabilities are now strongly in
favor of the Republicans holding the
power until 1889, at least.
THE WHISKY LOBBY.
One OF the most powerful lobbies that
for several years has blocked the halls of
legislation is that of the whisky-producing
interests, snd there is every indication now
that it will be larger than ever this year.
The milk in the cocoanut is Just this
The overproduction of distilled spirits
and their accumulation in bond, COM
bined with the law limiting the bonded
time to three years, it is claimed, is work
ing great hardship to the manufacturers
of whisky. They have, accordingly, ap-
pealed to Congress for the removal or
extension of this limitation. Heretofore
they have been successfully fought by
the anti-whisky element. But they are
| too strong to be "downed," and will ap-
pear this winter with reinforcements.
Apparently they have an advocate in
Commissioner of Internal Revenue Mil
Ter. He claims that the law has resulted
in great falling off of the internal rev.
enue receipts from this source. He argues
beforehand the quantity of spirits
they will be able to dis
pose OF in three years. His remedy
is to allow spirits to remain in disiillery
warehouses an indefinite time, subj sct to
peremptory withdrawal in case of ex.
cessive losses, provided the United States
is reimbursed for the additional expense
incidental to snch storage. The com mis-
sioner says: "The quantity actually con.
sumed is the measure of the quantity
upon which the tax is paid" He theu
! ADDS: "Any law, therefore, which fixes
the date of the payment of the tax at any
time other than the date of the actual de
msnd for consumption is disturbing ele
ment in the business of the producer
more or less severe, as the business of the
distiller varies more or less from the arti
fetal standard set up by the law"
DIR. H B. BRANHAM OF MISSISSIPPI,
! the new superintendent of the seed-room
Agricultural Department, seems to be the
right man in the right place. He is prac
ticsl horticulturist, end has made specia
, study of the seed business. He keeps hi
clerks well employed getting the variou
garden seeds put up before Congress meets
A new brand OF oats called the "Wel
come" is to be tried this season, and yer,