San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-04-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(frcm Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, April Is, 1888.

no has Hnflicient cause 10 Dc. len
days of precious time wasted in the
House, by members of his own par
ty, thus playing right into the hands
Of tho enemy, whose main hope OF
defeating the Mills tariff bill is by
delaying its consideration. II any
thing political had been at stake, the
time might have boon excused, but
there was not. The dead lock was
caused by tho filibustering OF from
fifty TO soventy.fvo democratic Con.
gressmen who were opposed to the
passage Of tho bill TO refund to the
several States and territories the
amounts paid by them to the United
States under the direct tax levied by
Congress in 1861.
For o week the filibusterers re.
fused to listen to any talk Of n
promising in any way to break the
dead lock. They also refused to take
part in a democratic caucus on the
bill. But finally the filibusterers
having discovered that a majority Of
the democrats would give up to them
to the extent Of postponing the con.
sideration of this bill until next
December, they agreed to hold O
caucus. In caucus they agreed to
postpone discussion of the Direct
Tax bill until the 9th. of December
next, when vote is to be taken on
it.
SO the deadlock ended on Thurs.
day with q decided victory for the
filibustering minority. 1t was the
best that could be done however, for
tho filibusterers did not hesitate to
say, they would continue lock legis-
lation for the remainder of the ses-
sion before they would surrender.
This filibustering of the past ten
days has probably injured the demo
cratic party more than the republi-
can party could have done in ten
months. Busides absolutely moth
ing has been gained by it, and a
dangerous precedent has been set be-
fore the republicans of the House,
which they will not be slow to take
advantage of when an opportunity
presents itself. The country is
thankful, however, that the deadlock
is over and that needed Legislation is
going forward.
The democrats of the House COM
mittee on pensions have improved
the Dependent pension bill, which
recently passed the Senate. They
agreed to an amendment, which
strikes out the second and third Sec
tons that gave $I2 a month to all
soldiers of the rebellion who served
three months and are now from age
or any other cause incapacitated for
earning a support, or the same sum
to the widow and children of such
soldiers as have died. It substitutes
therefor a provision regulating pen
sions by the term of service, at the
rate of one cent month for each
days service in the army of the wars,
Mexican, Indian or the rebellion, and
that all soldiers whether incapacitated
or not shall receive pension rated
in this manner, after they reach the
age of 81 years. The republicans of
the committee opposed the amend
ment
While Senator Plat, of Connecti-
cut, was making prosy speech in
favor or his bill to admit South d.
kota us State, Delegate Clifford, of
Dakota, who was sitting on one of
the comfortable lounges in the rear
of the Senate Chamber, fell into q
deep, sleep and snored audibly, not
waking until the Senator had finished
his speech. Mr.. Clifford was one of
the victims of the deadlock, and
doubtless needed rest so BADLY that
he was unable to honor with bis at
tention the speech which he had come
over to the Senate purposely to hear
1t is not thought likely that any
legislation in regard to the admit
lance of any of the territories
will pass during the present ses-
sion of Congress. The Senate
now has before it bill for the admis-
sion of South Dakota, and it will
probably pass that body by strict
party vote, but that is as far as it is
likely to get, as the democrats of the
House have agreed in caucus that
the only territorial legislation of the |
session will be the passage of the |
Springer omnibus bill, which pro-
yides for the admission of Dakota,
Montana, Washington and New Mex
leo. but there is no hope that the
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