San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-03-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent. J

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22nd. 1889.
Senator Harris, OF Tennessee, is
ut the head OF n coalition OF Demo
cratic Senators who have started in
on tho impossible task OF trying to
shame the Republican Senators into
confirming some Of tho nominations
now pending before the Senate. Mr.
Harris, has announced his purpose
OF making motion every day to go
into Executive session in order to
consider these nominations.
The facts in this case are without
precedent, and should bring blush
TO the cheek Of every fsir-minded Re-
publican. After tue Presidential cleo
tion OF 1880, Hayes sent to the Sen
ate $50 nominations, nearly all OF
which were confirmed. After Mr..
Cleveland was elected, Arthur sent
TO the Senate 612 nominations and
oil OF them were confirmed except
twenty. Now Mr.. Cleveland has
sent to the Senate since the election
OF Harrison ass nominations OF which
1873 relating to Army and Navy pro.
motions that may be considered non
political have been confirmed. or
the 1876 other nominations, the most
OF which were made to I'll official va
cancies, only As have been confirmed,
leaving the enormous number PIT
Enacted upon. Such partisanship
has never before been displayed by
the Senate, bnt even the most con-
servativo Republicans seem to glory
now in what they are doing.
Congressional interference with
Southern elections does not seem to
be popular in either House of the
present Congress, The House Com
mittee on elections has decided that
it had no jurisdiction over the con-
test which the late j. M. Clayton, OF
Arkansas was making at the time of
his death for the seat that Mr.. Brock
inridge WAS elected to, and the Sen
ate committee has tabled the Chan
dler and other resolutions Of the same
ink. It has reported much milder
resolution, but even that is not GER
tain to get through the Senate.
An agreement on the Omnibus
Territorial bill has been arrived at
and only the Presidential approval
is necessary to make it law The
act provides for elections in time for
the Senators and Representatives
from North and South Dakota, Mon
tana and Washington to take their
seats next December.
The President has signed the bill
chartering tho Nicaragua canal com
pany.
The lobbyists interested in the pas
snge OF the direct tax bill are in
great trouble They succeeded in get
ting it through both Houses of Con
gress, but owing to unexpected oppo-
sition causing delay it reached the
President within less than ten days
of the end OF the session, which
makes it absolutely necessary that
the measure shall be signed by the
President before 2 o'clock on the
fourth Of March. This will give Mr..
Cleveland an pportunity to see the
bill die without the trouble of vetoing
it. Many people still believe that
it will be vetoed, and that the Presi-
dent will take this occasion to admin
isier q sharp rebuke to Congress in
relation to this class Of Legislation.
The Pacific Railroads has once more
proved themselves to be stronger
than Congress. All hopes Of getting
the bill relating TO their Indebtedness
to the government through at this
session have been abandoned, and
the Senate has, at the request OF the
committee on Pacific railroads, re-
committed the bill to that committee.
Mr. Huntington has not
been holdidg private conferences
with that committee for nothing.
Minister Phelps, recently arrived
from London, came to Washington
this week TO pay bis respects to the
President