Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-02-15
Washington Gossip.


exhibition will be well worth seeing.
Warrington Gossip.
Especial correspondence of the Journal
WASHINGTON. Feb. IL.
No SOLDIERS NEED APPLY
II has been the custom in the House for
many past to set aside Friday evening of
each week to the consideration of private PEN
sion bills The rule has been that if any
member objected TO particular bill he could,
by formal objection, have il laid aside TO
be considered BY the full House. This rule
effectuaiiy prevented the passage of improp-
er bills, while il afforded the opportunity of
passing quite large number of deserving
cases, which, owing 10 the necessarily gem
eraI character of pension egisiation, had been
| rejected by the pension office. Every one
will remember the gusto with which Mr.
| Cleveland, fresh from his wedding trip, en-
| tered upon the work of slaughtering these
bills with the Presidential veto. Contrary TO
his expectation, the veto messages were re-
| ceived with disfavor, and today they stand as
among the most unpopular of his official acts
In order TO wear the jewel, consistency, he
must needs go on yetoing bills of this charac-
ter when passed. Therefore, it is said, that,
in order IL relieve him from embarrassment,
the Democratic Pension Committee of the
| House has decided not to ask to have Friday
evening set apart for the consideration of
| these bills. This may, or may not be true.
| Ii is fact, however, that the Committee has
not asked the favor, and nearly six weeks of
the season have passed. 1t is only just,
though to say that asked member of the
Committee in regard to it, a few days ago,
and he replied that he had heard nothing of
it, and explained that the delay was because
the printing was behind. The member told
me that he had examined and reported one
bill. Mr.. Matson, Chairman of the Com
mittee, | am bound to say, is gentleman of
independence, and a friend of the soldier, and
this makes the delay seem the more unac-
countsble
| WASTED-BoTH LEADER AND FOLLOWERS.
Roger q. Mills of Texas, Chairman of the
WAYS and Means Committee, and er-o6feio
leader of the Democratic side, does not lie
upon bed of roses. He has occasion very
frequently to face the members of his own
party, who, at times, are disposed to rebel
and to put Mr.. Mills to ridicue. I under
stand that some of the Louisiana Congress
men are particularly incensed against him,
because of his threat to place sugar on the
Tree Ttiuse 10 NOie LOT tTe
consideration of his new tariff bill. Mills
great fault is that he is no parliamentarian,
and ThOs. b. Reed, or Cannon of Illinois,
can tangle him up in fifteen minutes The
gossips say that Randall has rod in pickle
for Mills, and dare say it is true. Most
people think the Democrats in the House
need an able leader, but the Democratic
Washington Post says, 'the House has a
, leader. What it wants is followers"
OSE DEMOCRAT VINO DAREs Do HIS DuTY.
One cannot help but admire the manly
course of Representative Bourke Cochran of
New York city, in leading the revolt against
! the iniquitous attempt of the Democratic
members of the House Committee on Flee
tons to unseat Representative White of
Indiana. Mr.. White, who was born in Scot
land, had lost his naturalization papers, and
on this technical ground the democrats pro-
, posed to GUST him and give his seat to a DEM
; ocrat. Cockrans speech against this outrag-
eous act was like bombshell thrown into the
Democratic side of the House. The party
whip was welded numerically, but Cochran
l refused to respond. His speech was a mas
, terly effort, and when he spoke of the noble
, war record of MIR. White, and declared that
he could not, and would not, believe that a
man who had served his country upon the
( battle field, and who had actually shed his
, blood in her defense was capable of perjur-
ing himself by false oath as to the fact of
his naturalization, cheer upon cheer went up
from the Republican side of the House, and
when the final vote came. forty-five of the
Democrats broke from the party lines and
ranged themselves by the side of Cochran.
SECRET CONFERENCES.
The public is quite unaware of the many
consultations which take place here between
politicians from various States Especially
) from New York; and the President If any
5 thing occurs which excites the concern of the
: "ruler of 80, 600 900" Lamont telegraphs to
those politicians who are supposed to have the
, power to keep things in that particular local
: ity from going to the .'bow-wows, and by
) the next train come number of mysterious
looking individuals who keep very quiet,
decline to register at the hotel where they
stop. take their meals in their rooms and go
. not out by day If YOU were to watch these
men, you would observe them leave their
hotel after dusk, and proceed to the White
House. A few hours later they would be
seen leaving the Executive Mansion and be-
ing driven directly to the train. Every effort
; is made to conceal these secret consultations,
and even the sharp-eyed newspaper man il
deceived. or else coaxed into saving nothing
about it.
SPOILED CHILD IN THE SENATE.
Senator Riddelberger, of Virginia is the
/ most obstreperous Senator in Congress. He
, cares little or nothing for decorum or pro-
> preties, and he COMFORTS himself like a
spoiled child. And that is the trouble with
him--he is spoiled. His vote has often been
necessary to majority on the Republican
side and he has been treated too well by the
members of both political parties. He makes
it lively sometimes i'll the Senate Chamber,
and that dignity which doth hedge grave
: and reverend Senator gets rudely shocked
on some occasions His latest manifestation
of erratcaness over motion to consider the
British extradition treaty in open session has
given him more notoriety than he deserves.
He now seems to have become almost a
monomaniac npon the subject of the abolition
of secret sessions Like Hannibal Hamin,
he never wears an oyercoat, and gloves are
never seen upon his hands. Every afternoon
he walks ny Pennsylvania avenue from the
capitol, wearing an ordinary frock coat and
SLOUGH hat. and carrying light cane in his
hand