San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-02-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.

From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON. February II. 1888.
Daily LIGHT:
Democratic congressman have a very
convenient habit Of laying aside tempo
rarlly their pet hobby, "retrenchment
and economy" whenever their own COM
fort is in any manner at stake. Two
entirely new committees have been
made by the democratic house, one on
Indian depredatiODs and the other on
the eleventh census, OF which those two
shining lights Of democracy, MIR. Whit
horse, of Tennessee, and sunset" Cox,
OF New York, are respectively the chair
men. AS II was eminently necessary
in the eyes OF these gentlemen-to have
separate rooms for these committees TO
meet in, they haYe persuaded a MAORI
~ OF the house committee on accounts
to recommend that two rooms be rented
for them, In the large stone building OPP
posite the capitol, known rs the Butler
mansion, at a rental of 500 per month,
and that the clerk Of the house shall fur
nish the same. This 10 sheer waste of
money. 1t is not at all likely that
either one of these committees will be
in actual session for ten hours during
the entire session. The rooms will sim
ply be elegantly furnished with private
offices for the chairmeR Of the comm it.
tees and their friends. In order to save
that SlOO month. one or two pos tai
employees will have to be discharged.
For making the best out OF bad stu
alton, the average democratic official
beats the world Speaker Carlisle al
lowed the corridors Of the house to be
occupied by the private offices of several
New York stock brokers during the en-
tire session, until an enteTprlsing cor
respondent showed the thing up, then
he at fret denied their existence, then
made them get out, and now he, and
particularly his friends for him, want to
claim credit for bringing about great
reform by abolishing these places, that
never existed before he was speaker.
HOw's that for democratic cheek?
A leather medal should be at once
awarded Mr.. DOCkery, OF Missouri,
democrat OF course, for the able manner
In which be stood up In the house for
the inefficient mail service the adminis-
tration ts giving the country just now.
POstmaster-Genersl Dickinson should
see to II that be has pOstoffice named
after him at once.
The Cleveland and anti Cleveland
democrats will probably have their first
| utIb III w NJ.
| Although citizens of tie District of
Columbia are not allowed to vote for
president or yice-president after they
are nominated, both Of the great politi-
cal parties allow them two delegates in
the national nominating convent ons
Ii Is over the election OF these two dele
gates that the fight is going to take
place. In fact 1t has already begun.
or course Cleveland expects the friends
OF his local federal appointees to see
that Cleveland men are selected; but II
will not be by any means an easy task,
as Cleveland is probably more thorough
ly dlsliked by democrats In this dis
trict than anywhere else In the country.
The we're here-to-stay expression
which was worn by democratic officials
In the early days of the administration
has been superseded by frightened
can-we-carry-New York look, They
are loosing confidence every day, Will,
republicans are gaining it. This is tn,
direct result of the unbusiness like poll
cy OF the administration, which ha
made the democratic party thousand
OF enemies whose votes will for the, frs
time be cast for the republican part,
this fall.
1t lie daily becoming palmer. that al
long as the house is controlled by III,
solid south, no new states, no matte
how large they may be, are to be adj
mttted TO the union Tor fear they may b,
republican. These same southern
democrats tried for years to break vi
the union and ignominiously failed, buI
the thought OF the vast power the,
WELD under the present administration,
serves as a mitigation to a great extent
OF that failure. They are now accom-
plishing, by means Of suppressed votes
what they lost by fighting.
Senator Sberman's motto Is a poot
one: "a free ballot and fair count
unless secured to the whole country, IN,
constitution is set st naught, the suff
rage impaired, and the republic i'm