The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-01-29
Washington E.eiter.
(from our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON. Jan. 25th. 1856.

How to count the next Electoral vote;
how to solve the Silver problem, and how
to pension widows, orphans, and people
generally, are some of the questions with
which the legislative toilers on Capitol
Hill have grappled during the week
The President of the Senate, Mr.. Sher-
man, opened the discussion on the Electo-
raj vote. HIS speciality is finance, (you re-
member he was Mr.. Hayes Secretary of
the Treasury and he is disposed to be as
arbitrary in his province as Secretary Beck
on the tariff or Senator Edmunds on law.
In this instance, however, he entered the
role of expoundcr of the Constitution,
which is a favorite vanity with many Sen
ators He said he did not wish to intliet
speech on the Senate as to the pending bill,
but he Thought no time was better for it's
consideration than now, when no great
political question was before the country.
He felt that the matter involved point
more dangerous to the future of this coun-
try than probably any other. To be brief,
Mr. Sherman proposed that where the two
branches of Congress cannot agree on any
question affecting the count, they shall
meet and vote in joint convention. This
plan received the endorsement of Senator
Evarts, Mr. Hayes Secretary Of the State,
whose familiarity with the question of the
Electoral count is very we'll known. Mr..
Sherman's speech was vigorously combated
by Senator Edmunds, who went to the
Congressional library during its delivery
and came back armed with u stack of law
books. Nor was Senator IIoar willing to
take his law on the counting of the Electo-
raj vote from Mr.. Hayes Cabinet minis
terS. He even went so far rs to compare
them to Mr.. Pckwick That philosopher,
observed Judge lIoar, told Mr.. Tupman,
when entering 4 town where there was u
mob 10 shont with the mob; and in case
there were two mobS, 20 shout with the
biggest. This, he Thought, described the
principle of Mr. Shcrman's joint eonven-
ton of the Houses Each Of the Senators
who participated in this discussion has a
personal interest in it, and hopes TO have
the next Electoral vote counted in his own
favor.
Inregard to the threatened rapture between
the President and Republican Senators,
| can only state that their attitude to each
other has not changed in The past few days.
4 Iufi f,, ~ Him., t1nap fIn DrnciJnYt n
furnish information aud give reasons for
removing certain officials, Mr. Edmunds
has announced will be offered in open scS-
sion. Until thru there will be further ac-
Republican party managers are anxious TO
cXtort answers from the President in par
tieular eases where offensive paltisanslip
is the assumed ground Of removal. They
want to hold him TO his theory of assumed
Civil Service reform, and to make the most
of their opportunity to harrass him with ii,
Many of them have grievances in the shape
of particular friends and Supporters who
have been displaced under the new regime.
A Republican Senator remarked to-day,
however, that it was to their interest to
avoid, if possible. amy controversy with the
Executive. I'VE would appear AT a dis
advantage, said he, ''and the President
would have the popular support Zen" hc
added, "thc Senate is not popular body,
and it never has been.
There is never a dcarth of conventions in
Washington. Some smi of an organize
ton is always in session here During the
week we have had the gentlemen from the
Mississippi valley, who come to urge upon
Congress the improvement Of Western
water ways. Then the National Board of
Trade has held Il session here, and Silver
men have held a meeting, The latter took
currency for the majority of people that
it is the poor peoples money, and that
gold is the bankers. One of their speak
ers. Mr. Baldwin from Connecticut. said
"a Member of Congress who votes against
silver sounds his own death kncll. - The
Mississippi River convention talked freely
of their hopes and projects and of the large
appropriations they expect 10 get from
Congress. The National Board Of Trade
Endorsed Senator Cnllom's mter-Siaic-
Commerce bill. reallirmed its action of last
year in regard to foreign discrimination
against American pork, adopted resolu-
tions urging the passage of laws creating a
Department of Commerce. and provided n
method of settling electoral disputes like
that of 1876, besides discussing number
of important questions.
WESTON.