Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1886-02-12
WISHfNGTON LETTER.
Washington, Jan. 25, 1886.

and the Republican Senators; lively
debates in the lower branch of Con
gress; notable speeches in the Senate
Convention in behalf Of the Missis
sippi river, and another by the Nation
al Board Of Trade are features of thC
week at the capital.
The controversy between the Pres
ident and the majority of the Senat'
has reached an interesting point AIT
there is prospect Of a political dcbat
in that end of the Capitol this week
The Republic ans of the Senats deter
mined long since to make as mucl
trouble for the President and his part,
as they could. They will take eyer.
advantage within tbeir reach 10 pei
| pick and annoy the Administration
They assume this course to be polit
ical duty, and their leaders, Edmunds
Hoar, Morrill,, Sherni an and otLer
are thoroughly trained in all The art
of obstruction and legislative chicancry
They were drilling for this onslaught
on the persons and policy conposln:
the Administration at the time thel
were making professions of good vii
towards the Pres ident and his Admin
istration
Senator Edmunds proposes to begin
the fight by- offering his resolution
calling upon the President to furnisi
information regarding the cases ot
removal Of federal officials and his rea
sons for the same. The Democratic
Senators are united a nd harmonious
and will support Mr.. Clevelan,,. They
are getting ready for the discussion by
holding caucuses and the Republicans
are doing likewise.
There is ND more bitter partisan in
the Senate than chieftain Edmunds,
of Vermont. He is the orch enemy of
the Democratic party, and he shaped
this little game while protesting great
admiration for the Presidents good
intentions and an anxious desire fol
his success. He took pains to call at
the White House at THE time Of Vice.
President Hendricks death and af
fected good will towards Mr.. Cleveland
by urging him not to attend the funeral
at Indianapolis. Mr., Ednlunds be-
lieYessmore IN strategy than in violence
and he has laid his pfaiin for ss'atrapping
the President very artfully He
would like above all things to convict
Mr.. Cleveland Of inconsistency as a
Owl Service Reformer and to trip the
Administration.
President Cleveland7s future course
in the matter cannot be outlined. He
has expressed his willingness to fur-
nish the Senate with all the Papers on
file in the Departments bearing upon
his appointments, and such documents
have been sent. But whether or moi
he win agrees to Mr.. Edmunds3 pro
posed demand remains to be seen
He may be relied non for knowing
his rights under the Constitution, and
also the application Of the Civil Tenurs
law to his appointments He is nol
apt to be discourteousito the Repubi
can majority in the Senate, but he i.
apt to maintain the authority of ths
Executive. The Senate may resent
any refusal to furnish reasons for sus
pensions or removal, but it can onl,
reject nominations, or lay them ovel
indefinitely.
The Senate has again been debating
| the old Electoral Count problem. Sen
ator Sherman went at length into the
issues Involved, opposing all other plans
and offering one of his own, to the eff
feet that if the two Houses disagree
they shall meet in joint convention ane
elect President. Other Presidential
candidates besides the willy Senator
from Ohio, discussed how the next VOTE
of the Electoral College should bt
counted. These were Eyarts, Mr.
Hayes Secretary of State, and Ed
munds and Hoar, either of whom i.
reckoned as an eligible New England
candidate if the other one can be got
ten out of the way. Four other Pres
idential aspirants sat in group, silent
but alert listeners, tuning OCCASIONAL,
to neighbor and Whispering with ths
emphasis of clenched fist. Thes,
were Hawley, Harrison, Allison anc
Cullom. The subject evidently had q
personal interest for each, although
Logan has said recently that no mar
can go from the Senate to the White
House nowaday.
The House has be en- uiscussing Per
sions among other things. Nearly al
the old pension projects of the Forty
Eighth Congress have been introduced
in this, while there are some new
ones which outdo IN extravaganza any
thing hitherto proposed. There was
warm debate on tie bill increasing
widows pensions from IS to sl2. Rep
resentative Reagan, of Texas opposed
it. Said he; do no not expect tt
defeat the bill, nor any Pension bill
brought up here, no matter how grea-