The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-03-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D C.,
r 8. s

to share the information on which
he made official changes. The sec
ond also was a message from the
President condemning in very pos
tive terms the outrages committed
on the Chinese in the far West, and
urging Congress to reimburse the
victims for their pecuniary losses.
The third document was a decided
letter from the Secretary of the
Treasury on the Silver policy of
the Administration in which he
shows no disposition to compro-
mise with the Silver men. He de-
scribes the efforts he made to force
the standard dollar into circulation,
that Congress may see that he has
tried to carry out its policy in good
faith. The statement he makes in
regard to this should at least stop
the talk INDUCED in by some that
the dollars do not circulate because
the Treasury officials secretly use
the machinery of the Department
against the coin.
While Senator Beck may not
agree with the Administration on
the silver question, he is with it in
the controversy with the Senate.
Said he, in regard to the coveted
appointment papers "No one has
any right to them but the persons
who wrote them. MI. Cleveland can
return them to their writer's to-moG-
row, if he desires to do so, and no
one could prevent him. The Senate
could not make the people to whom
he returned the papers, tell what
was in Them" Since the president
sent his message to the Senate in
regard to its demand for papers,
there has been no doubt as to what
he is going to do. He holds that
the question of removal is one for
him alone, and he willnot send the
papers. 1t is not that the Senators
are misunderstood or misrepresent-
ed that they complain. On the
contrary it is because theyar thor
oughly understood and as thor
oughly exposed. But say they, acts
of suspension ought to be public
and the reasons for them explained.
While this is true, the custom and
the law of the Government do not
require it. The law should require
it, but it does not, and the Senate
does not wish it. The Senate
avoids publicity and fears it. The
Senate has refused publicity. 1t
does not want the country to know
all the facts and reasons in these
cases. 1t wants to have a portion
of them given in secret, to be man
ipulated in secret, to be made the
basis of political maneuvers, which
cannot be fairly met because they
are plotted and perfected in secret.
The subject is the chief topic of
conversation at both ends of the
Capitol, and it is noticeable that
the Presidents frank and strong
statement of his determination not
to be misrepresented or forced to
surrender his rights or responsible
ties has increased admiration for
him.
There has been a good deal of
comment upon the loss of temper
over the Presidents communica-
ton, exhibited by the usually pla-
cid, undemonstrative Senator from
Vermont, Mr.. Edmunds. The SEN
ate was in secret session when the
Presidents private secretary arriv-
ed with the message. Business was
suspended when it was learned
what he had brought with him,
Senator Harris proposing that it
be, read with closed doors. Senator
Kenna, of w. Va, and Van Wyck,
of Nebraska, sharply demanded
that the doors be opened. After a
brief debate the doors were thrown
open, the correspondents filled their
gallery, and the news spreading
rapidly, people from other parts of
the Capitol hastily making their
way to the Senate. Extraordinary
stiffness prevailed on the floor, and
the scene was unusual for the rea-
son that every Senator on both
sides of the Chamber listened ca
gerly.
Chieftan Edmunds sat with his
eyes closed, his chin on his breast.
His hands were folded across his
knees and twitched nervously dur
ing the reading of the message. At
the close Senator Harris sprang to
his feet with a motion that the doc
ument lie upon the table and be
printed. Mr.. Edmunds arose to dis
pute this motion in a voice that
betrayed his intense excitement,
while his figure trembled and his
face and bald head were scarlet
with anger. II do not propose that
it shall be laid upon the table if I
can help it," shouted he, and de-
manded yeas and nays. He then
proceeded to make a little speech
which he delivered with usual en-
phasis, comparing Mr.. Cleveland
to Charles the First, the most ar
bitrary of the Stuart kings.
1t is impossible to foreshadow
the outcome of the pending issue,
which has stirred up party feeling
among Senators more than any
thing that has happened this win
ter. They were not prepared to dis
cuss this communication in an off
hand style, however. The message
will first be considered by the Ju-
dietary Committee in a special
meeting. After that the Senatorial
fight will begin, and it is likely to
be long and exciting. JUNO.
An exchange says: David H.
Bailey, late Consul General to Hong
Kono China has baan cuad nv, tho