Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-11-01
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondence of the Standard.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Oct. %, 1889.
The Republican leaders, with the
approach of the opening of the Fifty
First Congress, grew uneasy. For the
first time in years they possess the
Presidency and both branches of the
national assembly. The responsibility
is unavoidable. No more talk of the
opposition of the Democratic party
in the House," no more talk of " Dem
ocratic vetOes." The Republican par
ty in the coming session must meet
the issues of the day squarely. The
revision of the tariff, which the Senate
bill of the last session declared to he
imperative, must be made. Appro-
priations for purposes long delayed
must be levied. Quibbling and lying
will avail little during this session.
In losing the House, the Democratic
party is fortunate, inasmuch as it
leaves its enemy with enough rope to
hang itself. Certain Republican
members will doubtless have much
to say in the coming session of the
faulty and harrassing rules of the
House. 1t is the opinion of candid
men on both sides that the rules will
not be seriously changed. At any rate
any movement looking to the curtail-
ment of the power of the minority in
as nearly balanced body as the pres
ent House, will meet wi.h vigorous
opposition, and could only result in
ignOminious defeat. Any attempt on
the part of the Republicans to increase
their slender majority by throwing out
duly elected Democratic members, will
he resisted.
The Speakership fight is essentially
between Messrs. Reed and Mckinley.
Though Messrs. Cannon and Burrows
are both here and working tooth and
nail for election, they are in the fight
only in the hope of being the success
full men in the event of a split. Mr..
McKinley's chances appear to be the
best. He has raised sectional issue
that cannot but be injurious to Mr..
Reed, whose State cannot control a
sufficient number of members to afford
any real advantage. Beside, Mr.. Nc.
Kinley represents, first, last and all
the time, the millionaire manuiac-
turers. He belongs to them, and the
coming session will be one in which
they will need to control the Speaker
of the House. The rejection of Mr..
Reed would stamp the ingratitude of
the Republican party. When to be
named for Speaker by the Republi-
cans was the emptiest compliment,
Mr.. Reed, as the leader of his party on
the floor, accepted the nomination.
1t was given with the tacit under
standing that should the time come
when the party held the majority, he
would be entitled to the Speakership.
1t is an i'll grace that now opposes
him. On the first ballot, the majority
will vote for Mr.. Reed, through duty
to this party promise. The frs: bal
lot will not result in an election. 1t
will be then that the lukewarm and
time-serving members will turn to the
next candidate in strength, and throw
their votes for him. That man will
doubtless be Mr.. Mckinley, and SO 1
predict his election.
The Civil Service law will doubtless
remain undisturbed. There may be
considerable talk about which admin
istration, Mr.. Cleveland's or Mr.. Har-
rison's, has been guilty of the greatest
laches regarding the law, but the law
itself will remain, though perhaps
slightly modified. The alleged selling
of copies of questions in advance OF
their use in examination, will doubt
less be referred to committee. There
are enough men pledged to the law in
both parties to insure its retention.
The Blair Educational bill will be
introduced early in the session by its
father, and the Senator may be de-
pended upon to push it through the
higher body. Its fate in the House is,
however, of grave doubt. There lack
not men on the Republican side of the
House who regard such bill as not
only a menace to the perpetuity of
educational opportunities in the
South, but also as unconstitutional.
With that feeling the Democratic
minority, thus assisted, may kill the
measure.
4HC IuCCtiHS VI tuC NdtlOudl DodTO
of Promotion of the proposed EXPOSE
ton in Washington in 1892 was an
unqualified success. There were
more than one hundred delegates pres
ent, representative men, Governors,
Mayors and capitalists, from every
State from Maine to California. In
his report to the Promoters, the Secre-
tary was particularly happy in his
presentation of the claims of Wash
ington. Our foreign guests should
be invited to look upon the valid
evidences of our greatness great
ness evident no less in our meth
DDS of governing ourselves than in
substantial products Of our wealth.
DEN.