St. Landry democrat., 1888-02-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 1888

WASHINGTON, req. o, 1000
Last Thursday was field day in the
Senate, 1t had been announced that
Senator Kenna, of West Virginia,
would reply to the recent tariff speech
of Senator Sherman. The galleries
were crowded with hundreds who were
eager to hear the discussion of the most
vital issue of the time.
Senator Kenna's defense of the Presl-
dents famous message was mastery
and convincing, and the Democratic pO-
sition on the tariff was set forth in fine
style, while the alleged arguments of
Senator Sherman were completely de-
molished.
Replying to the Ohio Senator's claim
that a Treasury surplus was preferable
to a deficit, Mr.. Kenna cited the fact
= that four successive Secretaries of the
Treasury-two Republican and two
Democratic-and two Presidents-Ar-
thur and Cleveland, had agreed in con-
demning surplus revenue in demand
ing reduction OF taxation. This ar
glment was unanswerabie.
Mr.. Riddleberger continues his war
on secret sessions of the Senate, the
latest assault of the impulsive Virginian
having been provoked by the dictate
rial airs of the would be- lOrdly Ed
UIuuUS, Vi tcfuiOub. IACCuIlNC Stdt-
chamber sessions are growing more un-
popular every day and their final aban-
donment is only matter of time.
Some newspapers throughout the
country have been confounding Senator
Hoar's Inauguration Day resolution
with some other measure. The joint res
oution which passed the Senate was
simply this: The term of office of the
President and the tiftieth Congress
shall continue until the last Tuesday of
April, in the year 1889, at noon. The
Senators whose term would otherwise
expire on the fourth day Of March, in
the year 1889, or thereafter shall con-
tinue in office until noon of the last
Tuesday in April succeeding such expi-
ration; and the last Tuesday of April,
at noon shall thereafter be substituted
for the fourth of March as the COM
mencement aud termination Of the off
cial term of the President, Vice Presi-
dent, Senators and Representatives in
Congress.
There is nothing in Mr.. Hoar's reso-
luton relative to the time of meeting of
Congress or the election of members.
There are bills pending in both houses,
however, which provide that Congress
shall meet on the fifteenth of October,
instead of the first Monday in Deccm-
her, and it is with these bills that the
Hear resolution has been confoun6ed
The event of the week in the House
was the Lowry White election contest,
which is still pending. All Of the Re-
publican Representatives are marshaled
in battle array. and it is evident that
they propose exhansting all their re-
sources to retain an alien Congressman,
who is no more nor less than q usurper.
in his seat. The Democrats are en-
deavorlng to remand the controversy
back to the people for settlement. The
Republican party has SO often been the
champion of fraud that it seems to hes
itate at nothing of this kind.
The President has materially changed
the civil service rules. The maximum
age limitation of forty-five years has
been abr0gated the list Of exempts has
been restricted; some additional adj
vantages are givon to soldiers; dismiss
sal for offensive partnership is made
imperative. The rule requiring officials
to give their reasons for the dismissal
ofsubordinates was rejected, although
there was powerful Mugwump influ-
ence exerted in support Of it,
It is highly probable that several
changes will soon be made in the Ter
ritorial Judiciary, as a number of va
cancies occur next month, and it is
not thought that any of the present in
cnmbeuts will secure new lease of off
cial life. There are many applicants
for these places.
The Postmaster General has author
lied the arming of every postal empIoye |
on all the railroad routes where there is |
danger of the depreciation of robbers. |
This preeaution has been taken on ac-
count OF frequent attacks of robbers mp |
on postal cars.
Many of the Interior Department
clerks developed a tendency to gather |
in and about the Office Of Commission |
er of Patents the past week, the attrac-
tion being Bob Ingersoll. Roscoe Conk-
ling and Frank Hurd, who were en-
gagged as. counselin the noted Telephone |
patent case. Mr.. Conkling is aging
quite rapidly. but Ingersoll looks as
rosy and rotnnd as when he made his
celebrated P'umed Knight speech, NOM
mating Blaine.