Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1888-12-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular corresrondent.l
WASHINGTON, Dec. Z, 1SSS.


After Speaker Carlisle struck his desk. at
noon on Monday, il was fully an hour he
fore the hila riiy of tie members could lie
suppressed. and hate in the afternoon there
was LITTLE attention paid even To the read
ing of the presidents message. The read
ing oeeupied one hour and twenty minutes.
In the senate forty-two senators appeared
to answer roll call, aud twenty listened to
the reading Of the message. With "A subtle
ireny it happened that the seven senators
whose admirers had placed flowers ON their
desks were u " democrats. Rest in peace"
remarked senator Ingalls,, funeralIy.
The throng Of visitors at the capitol was
considerable, bat still far inferior in size tn
that which generally attends the opening Of
congress. Mrs. Cleveland, Mrs. Hoyt, Mrs.
Wilson aud the wife Of Spea ker Carlisle were
the only occupants of the executive gallery.
Mrs. Cleveland looked particularly serene
in "a walking costume of fawn-coiored cloth,
with bonnet of the same shade. trimmed
with ostrich to match. With conmenslable
pat ience she listened closely to the long
reading Of the message, even through the
reports of the departments, and smiled
when the house roared at the allusion to
Lord Sackvillc.
As usual. the message was received with
but two opinions. The democrats could
not sufficiently admir- the president : man
iy adherence to his tariii principles, his adj
vScacy oi The workingman's cause, and his
able presentation of the SaekvilIe case. The
n
his obstnacy in tariff matters his spleen
in the treatment Of foreign affairs and the
bitterness with which he accepted his de-
feat. Mr.. Snowdcn, the Pennsylvania high
prot-ctionist democrat, said that he cheer
fully endorsed the message. with the exceI-
tion that ne utterly repudiated sympathy
with the president + tariff views.
The bill for the admission Of Dakota,
Montana, Washington and New Mexico is
again before the house, immediate consider
alton having been moved by Mr.. Springer.
The bill as il stands cannot pass, as the
democrats demand the admission Of New
Mexico, and the Republicans would only
consent with the promise that Dakota be
admitted az two states. Final action is,
sion. Tomorrow night the democrats will
hold a caucus on the question.
To no small extent the legislation of the
present session il not mach regarded rs
are plans Tor the Fifty-lirst congress. The
little that is usually done in legislation.
apart from private bills, during a short
session, will be even less. The ajorty OF
snuat.rs aud renrascut al ivps rpyu ri an ex-
ira session of the Fifty-iirst congress as in
evitabe. Everything is being done Ia favor
the plan, and shoud it shortly become an
assured fact the republicans will ieel indif-
ferent to legislation during this session.
The principal necessit for the ex'r session
arises from he time consumed in orsaniza-
tion when ma jorlics are 50 small. and from
present Indications the republican majority
in the house may hc only one. The repub-
iicans interested in the extra session say
that ii il w..s --,'a.s e. A ,.ril the sen.,i4a-
tariI hill could he passed; South Dakota,
Montana and Washington admitted; an
enabling ac, for North Dakota passed. and
some general session lcgislation accom-
plshed.
The sl'eakership candidates are hard at
work, and the iisht win he long and bitter.
Mrssr-. Reed, burrows, Cannon and Me-
kinl,y are the avowed candidates. As he
tween Reed and Cannon, the feeling is
II irongest Mr.. Reeds claims are BASED
upon long service and acknow ledged par
lamentary aud political ability To meet
these claims, Mr.. 'annons friends say the
Importance of the great west calls for the
election oi u western man. aud that Illinois
is the state g.. be honorcd. IL looks az il
ilIe two gentlemen would kill each oi her ofi
in NEAT and pleasing manner.
An eutcrl,rising Washingt oman has orig
mated plan to- give the inaugural ccrs-
uration. II will bc Just one hundred years
since George Washingt on was inaugurated,
and the most vii he made Of this fact in
The parade. II is said that the log cabin
schemes are distasteful to Gen. Harrison,
as savoring too much oi the 'gra ndiat hers
hat idea. Ii this he true, an excellent out
lei will br found in the centennial idea for
surplus enthusiasm.
on Wednesday the senate proccedel Ia
the consideration oi the tariff This simply
means that the old wrangc has begun again
fresh as ever. The tariii talk grows To be II
gigantic nightmare, and one longs 10 rush
ont into the open air and rcvel in gore. or
do something equally desperate.
Blaine's Wind Failed Him