St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-01-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18th. 18

| Ine proceedings OF the week on
Capitol Hill have been varied, interest
ing, and fraught with results in the
lower branch of Congress. The Senate
did little else in open session than listen
to endless irrelevant talk on the Silver
question, irrelevant, because no tinan-
clal measure was formally presented to
that body until to-day. Six Senators
made long set speeches ia advocacy of
continued coinage, another crowded in
an Grafton in behalf OF National Monu-
ments to Lincoln and Grant, and
another expended eloqucnce on the
subject OF uur Army. In its daily Sc
cret sessions the Senate has had before
1t the Presidents nominations, nun
ureds oil which have been confirmed.
NO cause of complaint has been
found against the nominees themselves
IN regard to their honesty, fitness, and
efficiency, and the Republican Senators,
IN lieu of any such grievance, have
been discussing iii caucus the question
OF dlsclpllning the President on the
subject OF tenure of office. Unable to
express themselves freely on this sub
Ject Ill Executive session without ex-
posing their plans to the opposition,
the leaders Of the Republican majority
quietly conveyed the news to their as
soclates that they must agree to il mo-
ton adlOurning over from last Thurs
day to Monday, i'll order that IL caucus
might be held on an important subject
Uf course the Democrats did not know
what was brewing, and the proposed
motion was carried.
! In this caucus, the Presidents policy
was the subject OF debate, and the more
pronounced disciplinarians, such lis Lo-
gan, Hoar, Conger, and Morrill, advoca-
! ted refining up the President to compel
! him to state to the Senate his reasons
| for removing one set OF officials to
! make room for others of his own party.
Some OF the more fairmiuded Senators
held that it would be going too far to
| ask OF the President in explanation of
his right to select his own friends to
till the offices for which his party had
fought so hard, and that he was only
doing what Il Republican President
would do, il one were in the White |
House. This kind OF argument was
very distasteful to the Republican
| managers, and they proceeded to dis !
cipine their obstinate brethren in a |
caustic way that won them over, or at |
least compelled them to submission.
While il variety OF opinions were ex- |
pressed with regard to the propriety of |
raising a formal issue with the Admins |
tration at present upon this question, !
majority were disposed to say that |
should the information sought not be !
forthcoming ultimately, the Republi- |
cans in the Senate will take some for /
NAL action to secure it, or an avowal
from Mr.. Cleveland that he will not !
give his reasons for making removals.
There are many Republicans in the
House of Representatives who would |
like to see I'LL of the Republican office
holders discharged Unfortunately.
Their reason for this lis that their party
machinery is being disorgnnized by the
present state OF affairs. Many of their
party workers received appointments
to Office us rewards for party service,
and as long Us they retain their places
under the present Administration, their
hands are tied in Il way to make them
useless for party work.
Among other bills to abolish the Civil
Service law that have been introduced
in the House was one by Representa-
tive Sency, of Ohio. No such bill can
pass the Senate while the Republicans
have control of it. They affect devo-
ton to civil service reform and the So
called spirit of it, and will continue
to do 80 as long rs the act cal be made
useful i'm keeping Democrats out of
office and in bothering the Democratic
party. Then again there are many
shrcwd Democrats in both branches
of Congress, who would deem it nn-
wise to repeal the Civil Service law and
who see good politics in letting it stand
as it is though, OF course the question
will be aeitatcd like that nf silver all
through the session.
The House of Representatives was
commercially industrious in disposing
OF the Presidential Succession bill,
which has passed without change, Just
as it came from the Senate Under its
provisions the line OF succession is
taken from Congress and lodged in the