The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-03-10
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.



has made rapid strides toward the
front during the past few days,
"Deacon" White, who represents
one of the Brooklyn, N. Y, districts
in the House of Representatives and
who is also generally believed to rep
resent Jay Gould, and his manifold
interests in the same body, made
himself conspicuous by spiritedly
attacking the Pacific railroad tele-
graph bill in the House on Saturday.
His argument was perfectly absurd.
lie said that the pending bill was
only buncome and would accom- plish
nothing that the present laws failed
to do, and yet the gentleman was
ready to foam at the mouth for fear
the bill would pass, as it subsequent
ly did.
The uncalled for slurs against the
Grand Army of the Republic in
which Senator Vest INDUCED while
making speech in the Senate on
Wednesday in opposition to the De-
pendent Pension bill, have lowered
him in the estimation of his own par
ty associates, 1t was certainly in
very bad taste for man who took
prominent part in trying to destroy
the Government of this country, to
stand under the dome of the Capitol
and try to deprive the preservers of
the Union of their hard-earned pen.
siOns. That such a state of things
should be possible speaks volumes
for the fOrbearance of the United
States Government in dealing with
traitors.
Senator Sherman's bin amending
the laws governing Chinese emmi-
grafton passed through the Senate
safely on Thursday. Among its most
violent antagonizarS was the Senator
from Florida, Mr.. Ca |, who charac-
terized the bill as one undertaking to
prove that the world was made
/ NlOiIS, lINuu9C III tllC tUu lliIlIlOilo vi
! Chinese in it.
! The mountain which has been in
labor, for 10 ! these many months,
has at last brought forth the mouse.
The tariff bill prepared by the Dem
Ocratic majority of the Ways and
Means Committee of the House, and
which was submitted to the whole
committee and made public, was the
event of the week at the Capitol. 1t
has already made a perceptibIe chasm
in the Democratic party. 1t does not
go far enough for the out and out
free traders while it goes entirely too
far in the direction of free trade for
| the Randall wing of the Democratic
party. Mr.. Randall calls the bill
vicious.
The new bill is heartily approved
by Cleveland and his Secretary of
the Treasury. Nothing strange in
that, as it is more than probable that
they both had hand in its construc-
ton. Still it is extremely doubtful
whether all the power of the Admin
istration, which will undoubtedly be
brought to bear on Directing men,
bers, can succeed in getting the bill
passed by the House. Petitions are
already beginning to come in oppos-
ing the passage of the bill, the very
first received being from the glass
blowers.
Senator Vance says the bill does
not meet with the wishes of North
Carolina because it Omits internal
revenue relief. Members and Sena-
tors from the tobacco growing states
all object to it because it does not re-
peal the tobacco tax.
The Senate Committee on the Dis
trict of Columbia have decided in ia
vor Of local option for the District,
and an effort will shortly be made to
give its citizens an opportunity to
decide the much agitated question of
liquor by their own votes.
The Dependent Pension bill has
been amended by the Senate to in
clude all soldiers who served in the
war with Mexico and all who served
for thirty days or more in any of the
Indian wars.
The House Committee on invalid
pensions has favorably reported the
bill relating to claims for pension by
dependent parents 1t provides that
in considering such claims, it having
been shown after the soldiers death
that he was entitled to pension, and
that he left no widow or dependent
children, it shall be necessary to show
by competent and sufficient evidence
that such parent or parents are with.
out other means of support than their
own manual labor or the contribu-
tiOns not legally bound for their sup
port, The same committee also ia.
vOrably reported a bill providing
that the pension money of any pen
siOner who is in the habit of becom-