The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-01-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.


WASHINGTON, Jan. %, 1886
The Republicans in the House OF
Representatives are, as q rule,
kindly disposed towards President
Cleveland, and are in favor of Civ
ing him a fair chance They expect
to vote for liberal appropriations,
particularly for the navy, and for
coast defenses. They say they will
favor giving Secretary Whitney all
the money he needs to carry out
his plans for building up the navy.
The recent action of the Senate
in ordering that all nominations,
combinations, reflections and with
drawals be published in the Con-
gressional Record, is regarded by
some Members of that body as the
first step to a final abolition of
secret sessions. A short while ago
the Senate would have been shock
ed at the mere suggestion of pub
fishing the proceeding of its execu-
tive sessions. But some Senators
now believe that the system of secre-
cy with regard to nomination tends
to encourage vicious attacks upon
men named for office, and think, if
nominations were considered open
ly, malicious persons would be
deprived of opportunities they now
have for secretly making charges
and insinuations against nominees.
On the other hand, many Sena-
tors are fond of the freedom of
their secret sessions and would
never agree to give them up. They
say the public sessions Of such a
decorous and dignified body as the
Senate heavily tax the physical
powers of Senators, most of whom
are elderly men, or men who have
passed the meridian of their
strength. When the doors are
closed and the world shut out, they
can, without neglecting their duties,
smoke a cigar, lounge on the sofas,
or in other ways enjoy a restful
change.
On Saturday afternoon there was
a melancholy interruption of social
festivity at the White House
through the sudden death of Miss
Kate Bayard, eldest daughter of
the Secretary of State. Miss Bay
ard had seemed well and extremely
gay at the reception in her mothers
parlors the evening before. But
when she retired at 1:30 a.
IN. she complained of great
fatigue, and having been ask
ed to assist at Miss Cleve-
lands weekly reception at three
o'clock on Saturday, asked that she
might not be disturbed until one
hour before the time for the White
House reception. Her sister Nan
ME went to awaken her at the
appointed time and found her lying
in her bed dead. She was the
favorite child of the Secretary,
and the main reliance of her inva-
lid mother in all social affairs. The
fact that the Bayard household will
remain in mourning for long time
will detract from the round of
entertainments at the White House,
as both Mrs. Bayard and her daug-
ter were expected to take promi-
nent part in them. Secretary Bay
ard was at the State Department
when he received the announce
ment of his daughters death For
moment he seemed to be too
much stunned to realize the fact.
Then he gasped for breath and
became deadly pale Recovering
his self-possession, he walked to
his carriage trembling in every
limb, and was driven to his home.
Miss Bayard's death was from phys
ical exhaustion and heart disease,
fastened by the active part she has
recently taken in the social life of
the Capital.
A subscriber takes the liberty of