The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-01-28
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.)

is long ways ahead of all its prede-
cessors. The House Committee on
commerce have the subject of the
Reading railroad now before them.
1t has been Informally discussed, and
the fact developed, that about one
half the committee are opposed to
any Congressional Investigation, be,
lieving if any is necessary, it is with
in the province of the Interstate
Commerce Commission to make it.
The question will be called up again
tomorrow. when a delegation of
knights of Labor who want a Con-
gressional investigation, will eDdeav-
or to get hearing.
Congressional Investigations are
always popular with a certain class
of Congressman. particularly if the
corporations and individuals happen
to be wealthy, Impecunious Con-
gressmen want all the opportunity
for fat pickings that they can get, land
they are sure to make the most of
their opportunities. The latest pro-
posed investigation is that provided
by Mr.. Mason's bill. which proposes
to empower a Congressional commit
tee to investigate all the trusts and
combines that have been entered into
by firms, corporations, and individu.
ais in coal, sugar, mining and kim
dred subje cts. The House Commit
tee on Manufactures has unanimously
agreed to report this bill favorably
and they are expected to do so early
this week. Then these impecunious
Congressman will begin to indulge in
champagne and terrapin stew, and to
ride to and from the Capitol in coupes
instead of the plebeian street cars and
herdics.
1t is said there is a strong lobby
with unlimited cash behind them.
who are here with the express pur-
pose of opposing this bill. Fit were
not for this lobby it is extremely
doubtful whether the investigation
would ever have been proposed.
Just why Secretary Villas, late
Postmaster General. should have
been willing and apparently anxious
to go down grade in official digni-
ty as he did in accepting the portfolio
of the Interior Department. has been
quite puzzling to a great many peo-
pie, The whole matter is explained,
however, by the following official or
der which was made public on Satur-
day:
"Secretary Villas has relieved AS
sistant Secretary Muldrow of the
care of supervising land decisions,
and in the future he will devote his
personal attention to them" Which
means in plain English that from
this time on, the entire public land
system of the United States is to be
manipulated in the interest of = Cleve-
lands reelection. Keep your eye on
lldO anu lliO ldilu uCClolOilo oSt w SCL
now and next November.
The Postoffice Department has
issued a circular giving the construc-
ton that the Department will put
upon the new law concerning the
amount of printing or writing that
may be placed on the wrappers of
second class mail matter. This new
law received the Presidents sigma.
ture on Saturday.
The anti-Randall Democrats in
Congress are wild with JOY over the
defeat of the Randall candidate for
the chairmanship of the Democratic
State Central Committee, of Penn.
| sylvania, and the passage by that
committee of a resolution strongly
endorsing Cleveland and commend
ing his recommendations for reducing
| the tariff. Mr.. Randall keeps cool,
and says the result will not change
his legislative course one iOta but
he does not intimate what that course
will be during the present session of
of Congress. But it is safe to say
that his opinion on the tariff has not
undergone any change since the adj
journment of the forty-ninth Con-
gress, 1t is claimed by internal men
that Randall is with them in their
EXTREMIST measures, while Others
will tell you that he only favors the
abolition of the tobacco tax, and still
a few, very few, others will tell you
that he will favor the bill for reduc-
ing the tariff, that will be reported
by the Committee on Ways and
Means, The fact Of the matter is, no
one knows what Randall intends do
ing. He has not committed him
SELF His enemies think that his de-
feat in Pennsylvania will deprive
him of some of his prestige and pow
er in the House. We shall see.
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