The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-12-15
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE.
Scenes and Incidents at the Reason.
bling Of the Fiftieth Congress.

II Y
WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 1883.
The second session of the Fiftietl
Congress opened on the Sd of De
, cember with a very good attendanc
Of the members in both houses
though many prominent Senator
were conspicuous by their absence
The galleries were crowded to over
flowing. The gay costumes of tn,
many society women present mad,
the scene a brilliant one. Will.
on the floor, the many floral offer
ings heaped upon the desks made
that part of the building vie with
the galleries in color.
/ The reading of the Presidents
Message occupied an hour and
three-quarters, and was listened to
with the usual grave dignity, and
no demonstration was made over IT.
The democrats are greatly pleased
with it's tenor, while the republicans
as rule have very few opinions to
express, though some of them Sc
verely criticise some portions of it..
One eminent republican Senator
claims that it was unpardonably
unpatriotic for the chief executive
Of the United States to suggest to
the citizens Of this republic and to
foreign nations that "our survival
for one hundred years is not suffi-
cient to assure US that we no
longer have dangers to fear in the
maintenance, with all it's promised
blessings, of a government founded
upon the freedom of the people,"
or that it is time for American citi-
zens to inquire whether we have
before us a way plain and clear
which leads to happiness and per-
petuity." This same Senator de-
clares that the passage in which he
intimates that the present great
prosperity of this republic is the
direct result of "the communism of
combined wealth and capital" and
that protection makes the boast
of free institutions glittering de-
fusion, and the pretended boon of
American citizenship a shameless
imposition" might have been writ
ten by Dennis Kearney Or Johann
Most, while some of the democrats
point to these same passages with
hearty approval as indicating that
President Cleveland retains to the
last the leadership of his party !; |
that he still foreshadows it's policy |
and Identifies himself in this mes
sage not only with the reform of
the tariff but with the irrepressible
conflict with predatory corpora
tons that is to play SO mighty a
part in molding our history.
The republicans say the message
read like a chapter from the "Cave
of Gloom" while the democrats
have but one opinion about it. That
is one of exultation. They say that
their leader, though defeated, still
carries alott the banner Of tariff re-
form, and that they will stand or
fall by it again. "The cause" they
say with the President, sis the peo-
PIES cause. 1t should never be
compromised"
There are some passages in the
message which republican leaders
say will be made the text 70. some
sharp criticisms of the President
Tery soon.
In the Senate the desks had
resi- coat of varnish and the carpet
lad been taken up and beaten and
everything looked fresh and bright.
Flowers were placed on the desk of
he presiding officer, and baskets
md bouquets marked the desks of
many of the Senators. Curiously
however, these floral offer
ngs were all to democrats, obsery-
ng which one republican Senator
aid: "Never mind, we do not need ,
hem, we are not dead" In the
House it was the same, to a. great {
xtent, the flowers were for the
emocrats, although General Hovey ]
he republican Governor-elect of
indiana, received a huge floral {
orseshoe from his Hoosier friends !
4 this city.
A card attached to an immense ,
@sket of pink and white roses,
'hich nearly hid Archie Bliss of
'rooklyn, from view, bore the in s
"To the man who has the {
ourage Of his convictions.
Tim Campbell, of the Eighth ,
'ew York district, also received a t
andsome basket of roses, the gift t
the compositors at the Govern c
lent printing Office. Mr.. Campbell I
as SO highly pleased with the e
raceful remembrance of his fell t
,w-craftsmen that he called every =
ody's attention to it. !
What do you think Of that, my c
earty?" said Mr.. Campbell, point c
lg to the flowers and addressing f
[cAdoo, of New Jersey. Q
II think" said Mr.. McAdoo, with a
ruel sarcasm, "that you have more
oses here than you had votes at e
re last election" The wickedness r
McAdoo's rejoinder will be ap- r