The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-01-21
Washington Letter.

WARRINGTON, Jan. 18th, 1S86.-Con-
gress has been persistently irrelevant
this week. Both senators and repre-
sentatives have deliver speeches on pet
subjects. On one day the senate lis
tened to three orations on totally dis
similar measures, silver, art and the
army. Senator ManderGon called at
tention to his bill for building up the
army, Senator Blair asked that monu-
ments be erected to Lincoln and Grant,
and Senators Pugh and Vance adV0ca-
ted continued coinage of the silver
dollar.
Ex-GoV. Curtin's resignation of the
Craftsmanship of the banking and cur
rency committee and senator Ingalls,
coinage resolution are the prominent
financial features of the week &C the
capitol. Mr.. Curtin's action, which
was anticipated, brings an extreme sill
yer man, Representative Miller OF Tex
as, to the head of committee, and the
senator from Kansas proposes to con-
tinue the present coinage of silver, Un-
til limit has been reached OF $780,
GOO, 900. At the present rate of coinage,
81, 100000 month, it would take tif-
teen years from date to reach this
amount. In declining the position to
which he was assigned, Mr.. Curtin
said he was not lacking in apprecia-
ton of the honor conferred upon him
by the speaker, but that he could not
escape the conviction that the tastes and
experiences of his public life were not
such as fitted him to serve in that po-
sition with satisfaction to himself or
with usefulness to the house.
The silver men have established
their headquarters here, and their work
is apparent in the halls of congress.
Scarcely day passes without con-
gresham introducing petition against
the retirement OF silver. Agitation of
the silver question will probably con-
tinue through the entire session. but"
remarked Senator Colquit of Georgia,
sit will be only agitated, for no legisla-
ton will be accomplished" The opin-
ion is fair reflex OF the views OF a ma
jority of the senators from the south
and west, and party lines would be
quickly obliterated on Il vote for the
characterization of s liver. Senator
Pugh, of Alabama, in a good natured
reference to the administrations silver
policy, said, that on this subject, both
parties allowed differences OF opinion
within their ranks. On next Monday
the silver question will be formally
presented in the senate for considers
ton and then talk OH silver, which has
been given out 80 freely of late, will
be relevant in that end of the capitol
at least.
A democratic representative was
speaking of the hardness of the house
in getting down to business, and OF the
tendency of members to speak in sea-
son and out upon their faVorits meas
ures. Said he, "This house is like
glass of beer, there is lots of froth to be
blown off before you can get down to
the substance. Scores of members
have speeches prepared on various sub
jects, and they had just az well be
blown of now when hthe house has
nothing else to do. They are sure to
waste time, hereafter, when the house
gets fairly to business. They are the
froth that has to be got rid OF before
any real work can be dene.
The senate, in secret session, have
been confirming the presidents nomi-
nations, many of them almost as fast
as the names could be read. Among
the first were the new civil service
| commissioners. When Mr.. Eaton's
name came up, Senator Logan made
the point that he was g "mugwumD"
and that the spirit of the civil service
law required that one of the commits
sioners be q republican. Several re-
publican senators Vouchsd for Mr..
Eaton's politics, and the commission is
| now certified to the country as eligi-
Bile for its duties. Very few OF the
nominations will be objected to-not
more than one per cent. of them. The
presidents position in regard to them
is one from which the republican sena-
tors find it hard to extract any griev-
ance. He did not withhold any OF his
recess appointments, but sent them all
in as democrats whom he believed to
be personally honest, worthy and eff
cient. Ii he has been deceived in some
of them, he leaves the responsibility
with the senate,