Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-04-10
Washington Letter.
To the Standard.

|
! been giving itself to strikers for the
past few days, while the Senate has
been taking rest, voted for by the
majority, so that the Republican Sen
ators could fight in caucus over the
Edmunds resolutions. When they
passed these resolutions last week,
theysupposed they had gotten through
with discussion which had been
neither as interesting nor as profitable
as had been anticipated.
Some of the Republican Senators
did not consider it binding upon
them to follow the line of party ac-
ton indicated in the resolutions, and
held that they were free to vote on
the Presidents nominations accord
ing to the merit of each case. But
Mr.. Edmunds angrily demanded
what was the use of passing his reso-
lutions if they were to get no good
out of them.
Caucus after caucus was held, but
no agreement was reached, and it is
asserted that the debate was some
times more acrimonious than Sena-
tors care to acknowledge. Hoar, Lo-
gan and Morrill, are among the refrac-
tory Senators, and oddly enough, the
latter, who is Mr.. Edmunds' most
stubborn combattant, represents the
same State as he. Mr.. Morrill, con-
tended that an attempt to reject the
Democratic nominees would do the
Republicans no good. 1t would be
regarded by the people as partisan OBJ
struction, and would be resented as
such. Mr.. Edmunds and his adher-
ents tried to secure the adoption of
dozen differently worded propositions
each practically committing the eau
Gus to carrying out the letter of the
Edmunds resolutions, but each was
beaten as soon as it was offered.
The result will be that the Edmunds
resolutions will be virtually repudia-
ted. There is, and has been, no cohe-
sion among the Republican Senators.
There is no sincerity in any course
they agree upon. One half of them
are jealous of the other half, and poll
cies are voted for which no one in
tends shall be carried out. There are
toomany presidential aspirantsamong
them for any harmony of purpose.
They have neither helped the party
nor individual members so far.
The continued illness of Secretary
, Manning and the recent illness OF
other members of the Cabinet and OF
+ Col. Lamont, the Presidents efficient
private secretary, have greatly in.
!, creased the labor of Mr.. Cleveland
during the past week. Sickness in
D the Cabinet has called attention to
7 the very arduous nature of the duties
, which Cabinet officers are called upon
! to perform. And it would be diff.
y cult to find conditions that offer more
q liberal inducements to illness than
may be found in the present Cabinet
{ The labor eXacted of its members is
q unrelenting, constant and severe.
o There are few persons who know
g how very much Secretary Manning
+ was overworked. He found it i'm
: possible to conduct the affairs of thu
& Treasury Department by giving thu
business only general supervision
y Immense labor was required Of thu
n Secretary personally.
+ The continuous strain of weightN
e responsibilities, added to the everlast
e ing worry of petty detail, makes {
a havoc of the nerve forces that only
e regular seasons of repose can repair
a And recuperation is not to be though
e ofin Washington official life. Society
Y makes larger demands upon public
n men every year. TO entertain and t.
:, be entertained is to perform the dutie
J, attached to the position. TO Close
IS the doors of a house that custom ha
If rented to society for the season, as i
e were, is to be inhospitable and eccen
r trio. 1t is true Mr.. Manning wen
l. very little into society, and left socia
y duties to his wife, but for all that h,
has had no rest.
# 1t is to be hoped the Senate's vot
n to employ half million dollars il
t. the erection of another mOnumen
e here to Lincoln will receive an EN-
:. phatic protest in the lower House
V There is not even the poor argumen
V for the Senate bill that Lincoln ha
s no memorial, as is the case for in
|. stance with Lafayette. There is
e statue of him in front of the City Hal
d reared by the colored race, anothe
4 called the Emancipation Group, be
= | -. 4 al s,,{;