Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-08-24
WASHINGTON LETTER
Written and compiled for the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 1888.

discovery, Just made, that there
would be no Treasury surplus for
the present fiscal year. The Dem
Ocrats to whom the "awiul surplus"
has been "a continual nightmare,
are the hardest MT they are COM
pletely bewildered, and know not
which way to turn for a new grlev'
ance. The reason why there is, or
rather there will be, no surplus this
year, is very simple. Congress has,
or will have before it adjourns, APP
propriated for the present fiscal
year an amount about equal to the
estimated income of the Govern
ment for the same period. This
state OF affairs will tend to simplify
the work of the Senate committee
now engaged IN perfecting a substi'
tute for the Mills bill.
Representative Lyman, of Iowa,
is determined to get vote on the
Dependent Pension bill in h Q
| House, or to block all business that
requires quorum. He says he
proposes to put the Democratic
members on record on this pension
business.
A proposition has been made
here for speaker Carlisle to chal'
lenge Mr.. Blaine for twelve joint
| discussions of the tariff, in as many
cities. Republicans are in hopes
| that the arrangement can be made
to have the discussion. They would
make thousands of votes for Har-
rison, Morton and protection.
Representative Mckinley left
last night tor Atlanta, Georgia,
where he goes by invitation to de-
liver an ad dress before the Chat
auqua Assem- bly, on the tariff. 1t
is believed that a majority of the
voters of Georgia are believ-
ers in a protective tariff never.
theless, owing to their inability to
sink their preiu dice, they will vote
for Cleveland, The free trader.
The funeral services of the infa-
nous fisheries treaty will be held
in the Senate tomorrow. Owing
to the often sIveness of the corpse,
it IS hoped that there will be no de-
lay IN the burial. Cleveland would
have withdrawn the treaty had he
followed the advice of a number of
Demo cratic Senators.
Senator Chandler will make a
speech in the Senate Wednesday
on his resolution for an investiga-
ton of the Louisiana elections,
that promises to create a sensation.
He as gathered mass of infor-
nation showing the crookedness
by which the Democrats carried
that election, and as he has the
courage to speak "right out in
meeting" he will make things very
lively for the Southern Senators.
The Senate has passed bill
amending the act of June Is, relat-
ing to postal crimes. The bill de-
clares unavailable all envelopes,
postal cards, or newspapers upon
which shall be written or printed
any delin cations, epithets, terms
or languag Of an indecent, lewd,
obscene, lbelious, scurvilOus, de-
famatory or threatening character,
or calculated by the terms or man
ner or style of display aud obviously
intented to reflect iDjuriously upon
the character or conduct of another.
The penalty for each such Offense,
upon conviction thereof, is fine
of $4,000 or Imprisonment at hard
| labor for not more than five years,
or both at the discretion of the court.
The wording of the act is very
comprehensive, and covers every
possible case aud condition.
There is one country in the world
of which this administration Is not
afraid. 1t is little Haytl. The
man.ot.war Galena mas been order.
ed there with instructions to pro-
tect American in terests. AS this
IS the first and only move that the
present administrati on has taken
tor the protection OF American ln-
terests, at home or abroad, l take
pleasure IN chronicling it.
The Democrats in Congress are
mucn disturbed over the excellent
prospect that exists Of the accept
anOe By the House of the Senate
substitute for the Mills bill. At
least twenty Democratic represen'
tatives, who voted for the Mills
measure under compulsiOn, are I'M
derstoOd to be in favor of accept.
Ing the Senate substitute, if it shall
be a good measure, which 1t is Ger
tain to he; and if the substitute Is
accepted by the House, it will be
come a law, for Cleveland dare
not veto it.
Senator Allison thinks that Con-
gress will not adjourn before the
middle of October, If so early.
1t is generally believed here that
the Democratic Representatives
are deliberately absenting them
selves from the House, leaving
that body without quorum about
four 6lths of the time, in order to
prevent any action on the Depend
ent Pension bill, and some other