News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-03-18
FROM
Correspondence ofthe News and Citizen.l
WASHINGTON, d. c.,
March s, 1886.

The debate or the Presidents pre-
negatives is to begin in the Senate
to-day. 1t was delayed by Mr.
Cleveland's unprecedented, specia
message explaining to that body the
rights and privileges of his office
The Senate has had a whole week te
digest the contents of that remarka'
BILE document and to decide what is tc
be done about it. Now for the dis
cussion that has long been awaited
with so much interest. Senator Ed
munds, as Chairman of the Judiciary
Committee, is naturally the leader SO
long as this issue is pending. He
thinks it can be disposed of in a few
days, but many of the Republican
Senators think it will consume the
greater part of the week.
When Senator Edmunds reti red
from the presiding officers chair last
March he was in poor health. His
complexion was sallow, and he looked
like a man who was having trouble
with his heart or his digestion. AT
the beginning of the present session
it was noticed that he had aged con-
s~iderably. His beard and hair, what
little there is left of it, were much
winter, his figure vas much more
bent, and the Democrats were con-
graduating themselves that the Sena-
tor from Vermont would not be- so
formidable in the Senate battles.
Mr.. Edmunds has improved physi-
cally of late, and there eve IA a
time in his career when he has been
more master of himself and more
alert than now. The cold sarcasm
with which he freezes those who OPP
pose him is as frigid as it was in for
mer days, and as for the Democrats,
why, they simply accept Mr.. Edmunds
as a disagreeable fact that can't be
lodged. They feel compelled to suf-
fer almost anything from him, not
daring to resent.
A Republican Representative who
was making a speech on the silver
question, remarked that the President
was right in his recommendation in
this regard. 1t had been charged
that the present administration was
engaged in a conspiracy with the
bond holders for setting aside the
law. But he thought the sins of this
administration were sufficiently heavy
without adding this to its burdens.
The Democrats of the House of
Representatives are much demoralized
on account of disagreement with the
executive and internal disputes upon
the tariff and silver questions. Con-
sequently they are dubious about the
result of the fall elections, which will
decide the complexion of the next
House. One of them said: Why did
the President force his silver theory
upon us? He knew we were pledged
to silver and had made our campaign
on that line" Some of them say
they try to counterfeit Mr.. Cleveland's
silver declarations by making speech
es and otherwise declaring loyalty to
the silver dollar, but they are at once
met by a gold speech from some men,
Der OF their party, or areiter-
alton on the part of the Secretary of
the Treasury of the Administrators
championship of gold. They are &C.
tually hoping that the Senate's fight
upon the President and the partisan
fight that has opened in the House
the issues of the past will save
them from themselves. They can
only keep from fighting each other by
fighting the enemy.
From the number of partisan
species made in the House over the
Pension bill just passed, that innocent
measure may be said to have aroused
as much patriotism as a call for troops
did twenty-four years ago. When
these old issues arise the Republicans
assert that we have one country and
one government, and the Democrats
make a similar assertion, but as in the
of married people, who are one,
the irrepressible question arises:
(which one?"
The gay world of the capital is fin
ishing its social programme for the
penitential season Miss Cleveland
has held her last afternoon reception,
and Tomorrow evening the President
will have the Senators and Represen-
in Congress, with the ladies of
their families, as his guests of honor.
The Diplomatic corps, Army and
Navy officers, and Judiciary, have
each been honored in turn. Congress
will have no punctilious qualms about
going this time, but will attend en-
masse, each family having been invit-
ed by card. This reception will close
the seasons social events at the White
House.
Thursday being Senatorial day, re-
.eptions were generally abandoned by
wives of the Republican Senator's
through respect to memory of an es-
teemed member of their circle, Mrs.
Hawley, wife of the senior Senator
from Connecticut. On that day this
a r woman, whose noble wal record
in hospitals and elsewhere is known