San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-12-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent,

Daily LIGHT.
Speaker Reed has lost no time sine,
his election. He expects to announc,
the remainder of the standing com
mittees of the house this week. Mr.
Reed has been called lazy man, anC
perhaps he is, but if so it's grea
pity shat q lazy man has not beer
elected speaker of the house before
this, for in this matter of appoin ting
the committees he is ahead of all his
recent predecessors.
| A joint resolution has already been
| introduced in the senate providing
| for a congressional recess from next
Thursday to January 6, and there is
not the slightest doubt about its pass
ing both houses. The recess will not
| however be spent in idleness. The
| important committees will be in ses-
sion almost every day getting busi-
ness in shape. Mr.. Mckinley, chair
man Of the ways and means commit
tee, proposes TO 60 to work at once
upon the tariff bill which is to be
passed at this session. 1t is probable
that what was known as the senate
tariff bill at the last session of con-
gress will be used as the basis of the
new bill. Trusts too are to be looked
after by the same committee. The
election committee will take up the
contested election cases and push
them through as rapidly as may be
consistent with justice to all parties
concerned.
The more that is known about the
defalcation in the office of the Ser
geant-at-Arms of the House the worse
things look for all concerned. A
committee of the House made a hur-
ried investigation of the business
methods of that office, and in it's re-
port to the House said enough about
its looseness to justify almost any
kind of rumors. Sergeant-at-Arms
Leedom's personal account was dis
covered to be $3.50 short, and the books
show that he has used the Govern
ment funds right along to discount
put the profits in his own poe
kets. The amount stolen by Silcott,
the absconding cashier is within
fraction of $72, 900, and who is to
lose it is still debatable question.
Either the Government or the men,
bers for whose pay the money was
intended, will have to be responsible,
as it seams to be generally conceded
that owing to the peculiar circum-
stances surrounding the case nothing
can be made out of the $50 900 bond of
Leedom. What makes the thing look
worse tor all concerned, is that no
serious effort has been made to trace
Silcott and try to bring him back.
The fact that Leedom and Silcott
have been the boon companions of a
| lot of fast Congressman makes many
people believe that Leedom and
quite number of members and ex-
members of the House would be very
sorry to see Silcott under arrest, for
fear that their turn might come next.
The investigation of the books of the
office of the Sergeant-at-Arm showed
Speaker Reeds account to be over
drawn 81 1884. This created big SEN
satisn when it first leaked out, but
was quickly squelched, when MIR.
| Reeds attention was called to 1t, Dy
the following statement from that
gentleman: II have never over
drawn my account. in fact have new
er drawn a cent until it was due.
After L was elected speaker there was
due me 81 1884. handed in my certifi-
| Gates that the money might be got for
me from the treasury in the form of a
draft on New York. got my draft
in due time, and cannot understand
how the draft could have been issued
| by the treasury without the deposit
of my certificate in the regular way.
That's the whole transaction and |
don't see how it can be called an over
draft. It was certainly not due to
| any act of mine" Mr.. Reeds eXpe-
rience shows the careless manner of
doing business which was prevalent.
The death of Mrs. Harrison's sis
| ter, Mrs. Scott-Lord, has cast social
gloom over the White House that will
remain during the entire season. 1t
will, of course, not prevent the usual
official entertainments.
On motion ofRepresent ative Butter
worth the House without a division
passed resolution, authorizing the
Speaker to appoint committee offive
| to investigate the Ohio ballot box
| forgery. Mr.. Butterworth made a few
manly remarks in asking the House
| to vote for his resolution, and every
| honorable man must wish that the
| Congressional committee may succeed
in running down the rascal that COM
mitted the forgeries Trifiing with
| the good name of a man is very
grave crime, and punishment should
| follow close upon detection.
| The Pension Office is just now re-
| ceiving an average Of 700 letters day
from congressman, and as their re-
quests take precedence over all others,
it has had the effect of delaying the
other correspondence of the office very
much, but it is only temporary. The