The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-12-19
WASHINGTON NOTES.
COMMITTEE ON ELECTIONS.

. WASHINGTON, December 13.-The house
| committee on elections held its first meet
| ing and effected an organization this morn
ing. Chester H. Rowell, of Illinois, son of
the chairman, was selected as clerk. A
subcommittee on rules was selected, con-
sisting of the chairman, Messrs. Houk,
Cooper, Crisp and OFerrall. This sub
committee will be charged with the ar
| rangement of the seventeen contested cleo
ton cases now awaiting settlement.
HON. SAM ]. RANDALL.
WASHINGTON, December 13.-Representa-
tive Samuel ]. Randall was so much i'm
proved yesterday that he gotup and walked
about the house for some time His condi-
ton continues to improve each day. and
his strength is increasing. He is very
cheerful and takes keen interest In the
proceedings of congress, but will not attend
the sessions Of the house until after the
holidays.
THE sILooTT CASE.
WASHINGTON, December 13-Alarge num-
Der of witnesses appeared before the grand
jury in the Silcott case this morning.
MR. MILLS ON sILcoTT.
WASHINGTON, December 13.-A small
crowd of Democratic members of the house
was clustered around Representative Mills,
of Texas, in the house this morning talking
over the effect ofthe Silcott defalcation on
party chances in the next election. Mr..
Mills was chief spokesman, and he laid
down vigorously his opinion that the DEM
ocrats could not afford to Inappropriate
lost money to reimburse themselves
1t would lose the party thirty or
forty members in the next house
He said: The best electioneering that the
party could do might be done right away
on the floor of the house. 1t might be that
the money was lost through no fault of
theirs and that they thought that the gov
eminent was responsible, but in every close
district the party would find their OPP
ponents on the stump, making loud procla-
nations and crying that Democratic SER
geant-at-arms had lost the peoples money
and that the Democrats had voted to pay It
back. 1t would lose them several hundred
votes right along and before the campaign
was over some of the members would be
vainly seeking to give some of the money
appropriated away to churches, or any
body or anything that would have it, as
was the case with the back pay grab, when
two well known members could find no one
to take the money. The best way out of it
was for the Democratic party
among their friends and raise the
make good the deficit. This would do
more effective work for the party than all
the experimenting next fall, and the ma
tional committee should take it in hand.
He was willing himself to give his Novem.
Der salary toward this fund, and he thought
other Democrats would do the same, and
in this way part of the money might be
made up.
JUDGE SHIELDS CANDIDACY.
WASHINGTON, December 13.-Judge Geo.
III. Shields, of Missouri, assistant attorney
general for the interior department, is
candidate for the United States circuit
judgeship made vacant by the appoint
ment of Judge Brewer to the supreme
bench.
1t is asserted by Judge Shields friends
that the entire Missouri delegation in con-
gress. Secretary Noble and Assistant Secre-
tary Chandler are especially favorable to
his appointment and will at the proper
time urge his claims upon the president.
F. Judge Shields within the last few days
has received many voluntary assurances Of
support from western members of congress
and others.
NO TRACE OF sILcoTT.
WASHINGTON, December BIAS far as
can be learned no trace has been found of
the whereabouts of the Ascending CASH
Ter, Silcott. Requests for photographs and
descriptive data have been received at the
office OF the sergeant-at-arms from detect
ives in Canada, but so far as known they
are made with view to enabling detectives
TO identify the fugitive.
The special house committee did not
meet today, but tomorrow 1t will begin the
formal inquiry intended to demonstrate
who is responsible for the lost money.
PAE-AMERIcAE CONGRESS.
tho oaoos1x. <.f ~.
ference President Blaine appointed various
committees and the conference adjourned
until January 2.