Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-01-30
FROM WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON, Jan. %, 1886.

notable speeches IN the Senate; con-
vention in behalf OF the Mississippi
river, and another by the National Board
of Trade are features OF the week at the
Capital.
The controversy between the Presi-
dent and the majority in the Senate has
reached an interesting point, and there
is prospect OF political debate in that
end of the Capitol this week. The
Republicans of the Senate determined
long since to make MS much trouble for
the President and his party as they
could. They will take every advantage
within their reach to perplex and annoy
the administration. They assume this
course to be political duty, and their
leaders, Edmunds, Hoar, Morrill,, Sher-
man and Others are thoroughly trained
in all the arts OF obstruction and legisla-
tive chcanery. They were drilling for
this onslaught on the persons and policy
composing the administration at the
time they were making professions OF
good will towards the President and his
administration.
Senator Edmunds proposes to begin
the fight by Offering his resolution call
ing upon the President to furnish in
formation regarding the cases of re-
moyal OF federal officials and his reas-
ons for the same. The Democratic Sen
ators are united and harmonious and
will support Mr.. Cleveland. They are
getting ready for the discussion by
holding caucuses and the Republicans
are doing likewise.
There is no more bitter partisan in
the Senate than chieftain Edmunds, Of
Vermont. lie is the arch enemy OF the
Democratic party, and he shaped this
little game while protesting great ad-
miration for the Presidents good inten-
tons and an anxious desire for his sue
cess. lie took pains to call at the White
House at the time of Vice President
Hendricks death and affected good will
towards Mr.. Cleveland 10y urging him
not to attend the funeral at indianapolis.
Mr.. EdmundS believes more in strategy
than in violence, and he has laid his
plan for entrapping the President very
artfully. He would like above all things
to convict Mr.. Cleveland OF inconsist-
cncy as a Civil Service Reiormer and to
trip the Administration.
President Cleveland future course
in the matter cannot be outlined lie
has expressed his willingness to furnish
the Senate with all the papers on file
in the departments bearing upon his
appointments, and such documents
have been sent. But whether or not he
will agree to Mr., ElmundS' proposed
demand remains to be seen. He may
be relied upon for knowing his rights
under the constitution, and also the
application Of the Civil Tenure law to
his appointments. lie is not apt to be
dscourteous to the Republican MAORI
ty in the Senate, but he is apt to main
tain the authority of the Executive.
The Senate may resent any refusal to
furnish reasons for suspension or re-
moyal, but it can only reject nomina-
tons, or lay them over indefinitely.
The Senate has again been debating
the old electoral count problem. Sena-
tor Sherman went at length into the
issues involved, opposing all other plans
and Offering one of his own, to the
effect that if the two Houses disagree,
they shall meet in joint convention and
elect president. Other presidential
candidates besides the willy Senator
from OHIO, discussed how the next vote
of the Electoral College should be
counted. These were Evarts, Mr..
Mayes' Secretary of State, and Edmunds
and IIoar, either OF whom is reckoned
as an eligible New England candidate
if the other one can be gotten out OF the
way. Four other presidential aspirants
sat in group, silent but alert listeners,
turning occasionally to neighbor and
whispering with the emphasis of Il
clenched fist. These were Hawley,
Harrison, Allison and Cullom. The
subject evidently had personal inter-
est for each, although Logan has said
recently that no man can so from the
Senate to the White House nowaday.
The House has been discussing pen
sions among other things. Nearly all
the old pension projects of the Forty
Eighth Congress have been introduced
in this, while there are some new ones
which Guido in extravaganza anything
hitherto proposed There was warm
debate on the bill increasing widows
pensions from S. to $l2. Representa-
tive Reagan, of Texas, opposed it. Said
he: II do not expect to defeat the bill,