The Mineral argus., 1886-02-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
lfrom Our Regular Correspondent
WAsIIINGTON, Feb. 5th. Is

With discussions in the senate ON ar,
Dakota, the electoral count. ami in tn
house agitation Of the silver question, III
fan-Electric tin thunder and several Der
sonai encounters among members, IL woul,
seem that our lawmakers are busy. Ye
the complaint is that they are only wastin;
time as usual.
The house is always asking for some in
vestigation or explanation. Its latest i'm
portant demonstration is against silver. In
test vote on Wednesday there was decided
opposition to the administrations financial
policy, and the secretary of the treasury
will be asked to outline to the house OF
representatives his future policy on the
silver question.
representative democrat who thought
the house was going too far in demanding
the secretary to state bis future intentions,
said; 1T is pretty hard on the president. {"
The senate wants to know his reasons for
everything he has done in the past and
everything he is doing now, and the house
demands his intentions and promises for
the future
Thee cabinet officers SO far have been
requested to furnish the Senate with infor-
nation bearing on removed officials. The
attorney general refused to furnish them.
Secretary Manning of the treasury has
drafted letter Of refusal which will have
been sent to the senate ere this reaches
you, and Secretary Lamar of the interior
Will doubtless proceed i'm the same way.
When Senator Beck, of Kentucky was
asked what he thought would be the ont.
come of the controversy between the presi.
dent and the senate he replied, ''it all de-
pends upon what the republican majority
will do. They are in the majority and
they can delay public business by deciding
not to confirm appointees." lie thought
this course would he all right if the repub-
licans were satisfied with it. The demo.
Gratis, he said, would adhere to their present
plan and he thought it would be for them
a good enonsh issue on which to appeal t.
the people.
rather singular episode took place in a
senate committee. Senator Sherman as
tonished the democrats in a talk about ap-
poinfments. Allusion was made to the
deadlock which has taken place in the con-
tirmation of officials to succeed those sus-
pended, and democratic senator asked in
setni-jocular way, why the committee
should not act on those nominations over
which there was no contest. WhereupOn
Senator Sherman remarked that there were
two removed officials in his own state who |
had written to him that their successors
were men of frst-cass character AMI in !
every way competent, and they hoped no
efforts would be made against their con- |
firmation.
Senator's Morrill,, of VT, and Congcr of |
Mich, talked about high art in connection
with suggestions for some new monuments
in Washington. Monuments are proposed
Ia Columbus, William Penn and Lafayette.
they talked about the renaissance, pre-
Raplaelism and prospective. The senator
rom Michigan said he did not know what
hose things were, but he would discuss
hem all the same. He became funny,
witty and sarcastic, and criticised the nonu-
nents of the capital many of which merit
ii the abuse that can be htaped upon :
hem. .
senator Logan made a long speech in be- |,
alf of Dakota's admission. He was ex-
ccted to speak on this subject last Monday. =
large crowd filled the galleries ON that
ay to hear him and were disappointed
lie happened to speak on Wednesday, the
ay of the heavy snow-storm here and no,
My were the galleries empty, but there i
ere just fourteen senators at their seats ;
hen he commenced. He drew attention !
} this sparce attendance by remarking that
was not very encouraging to observe how
tile interest was taken on ei her side of !;
ie chamber on the great question of the q
iimission of new state to the Union. In a
'e course of his speech, Senator Butler, OF
,uth Carolina, asked him if he was not at 81
he time "a democratic leader 81 never o
as leader; ] was a follower, and I fol- II
wed 50 far behind got left, - was his re- G.
y, which was received with loud laughter. -.
Several Efforts have been made this se,- .
Dn To have nominations considered in II
'en session. Senator Platt, of Connecticut, e,
Is made the last proposition of this kind y,
the senate. He says secrecy begets s,ls- ii
rion. and rs long as senators work within in
rred doors they will have imputed to "
em motives that do not actuaie them. m
ere is a natural aversion in the American ih
nd To anything partaking of the nature W
star chamber proceedings in legislative -
d Judicial bodies. If the question were a,
To vote of the people, il would "
ubtle,s carry by large majority. But a d,
lator said recently, Don't, for heavens or
re, ask To have what takes place in ex in
ltive sessions, laid bare before the public. eli
ckcd up here from the eyes and ear, of To
; world, il Is all we ourselves can do to uo
en- To some disclosures that are made in III
ret SESSIONS"
Using the Petrified Mood.