Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1888-02-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9th. 1888.


the Senate. 1t had been announced
that Senator Kenna, of West Virgin
ia, would reply to the recent tariff
speech of Senator Sherman. The
galleries were crowded with people
eager to hear the discussion of the
most vital issue of the time.
Senator Kenna's defense of the
Presidents famous message was mas
terly and convincing, and the Demo-
cratic position on the tariff was set
forth in fine style, while the alleged
arguments of Senator Sherman were
completely demolished. '
| Replying to the Ohio Senator's
claim that Treasury surplus was
preferable to deficit, Mr.. Kenna
cited the fact that four successive
Secretaries Of the Treasury-two Re
publican and two Democratic
two Observation-Disclosures and Cleve-
land-had agreed in condemning
surplus revenue and in demanding
reduction of taxation. This argu-
ment was unanswerable. f.. ,....
Mr.. Riddleberger continues his
war on secret sessions of the Senate,
the latest assault of the impulsive,
Virginian having been provoked by
the dictatorial airs of the would-be-
lordly Edmunds, of Vermont. Ex-
ecutive star-chamber sessions are
growing more unpopular every day,
and their final abandonment is only
a matter of time.
Some newspapers throughout the
country have been confounding Sen
ator Hoar's Inauguration Day reso-
luton with some other measure.
The joint resolution which passed the
Senate was simply this: The term
of Office of the President and of the
Fiftieth Congress shall continue un.
till 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 contin-
ue in Office until noon of the last
Tuesday in April succeeding such
expiration; and the last Tuesday
of April, at noon, shall thereafter be
substituted for the fourth of March
as the commencement and termina.
ton of the official term of the Presi.
dent, Vice-President, Senators and
Representatives in Congress.
There is nothing in Mr.. Hoar's
resolution relative to the time o.
meeting of Congress, or the cleo
ton of members. There are bills
pending in both Houses, however
which provide that Congress shall
, meet on the 18th of October, instead
of the first Monday in December
and it is with these bills that the
, Hoar resolution has been confound
2 ed.
The President has materially
changed the civil service rules. The
maximum age limitation of forty
, five years has been abrogated; the lis
of exempts has been restricted; som,
additional advantages are given t
soldiers dismissal for offensive parti
sanship is made imperative. TIL,
rule requiring officials to give thei
reasons for the dismissal of subordi
. mates was rejected, although ther,
was apowelful Mugwump influence
exerted in support of it.
: 1t is highly probable that severa
changes will soon be made in tn
!, Territorial Judiciary, as number o
vacancies occur next month, and
: is not thought that any of the pres
ent incumbents will secure a new
: lease of official life. There are many
applicants for these places.
The Postmaster General has author
), lied the arming of every postal EN-
u ploye on all the railroad routes wher
Il there is danger of the depreciation o
8 robbers. This precaution has beer
@ taken on account of the frequent at
i tacks of robbers upon postal cars.
q Many of the Interior Department
: clerks developed tendency to gath
II er in and about the Office of the Com
3 missioner of Patents the past week
u the attraction being Bob Ingersoll
e Roscoe Conkling and Frank Hurd
/, who were engaged as counsel in tn
y noted Telephone patent case. MI
g Conkling is aging quite rapidly, bu
1t Ingersoll looks as rosy and rotund q
q when he made his celebrate Opium
o ed knight speech, nominatin
g Blaine.