Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-12-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular Correspondent. !


MIR. Harrison's message was read in
both Houses of Congress to-day. It is
too early to say what is thought of it, as
few members pay close enough atten-
ton to the reading of message in the
House or Senate to care to express an
opinion upon it; they prefer to read it
over carefully afterwards. But it GER
talnly was not received with anv en-
thusiasm by the Republicans. That
much could be plainly seen by any per-
son that attended the opening of Con-
gress.
Gen. Clark, the Clerk of the last
House, called the new House to order
at noon to-day, and he is probably the
last Democrat who will have the honor
of presiding, even temporarily, over the
House until the first Monday in De-
cember, 1891, when Democratic
Speaker is again expected to be elected.
Senator Quay, aided by the silent
support of the administration sue
ceeded in making Reed Speaker of the
House, just as your correspondent from
the beginning predicted, but it may in
the future prove to be dearly bought
victory for Mr.. Quay, as he has made
some enemies that will not hesitate to
get even If the chance ever presents it.
self, and it generally does in political as
well as private life. One enemy that
Mr.. Quay has made he may we'll be-
ware of. 1t is J. M. Carson, Washing
ton correspondent of the PHILADELPHIA
Ledger, who had the audacity to be-
come a candidate for Clerk of the
House without consulting Mr.. QUAY.
Mr.. Carson claims that a majority of
the Pennsylvania delegation had
pledged him their support, which vir-
tually meant his election, as the place
was conceded to Pennsylvania, and that
Mr.. Quay by open threats succeeded in
compelling the most of them to sup
port his candidate for the place, Ed
ward Mcpherson, Secretary of the Re-
publican Congressional committee. Me-
Pherson got the nomination, but Mr..
Quay got the enmity of Mr.. Carson,
who wields great influence among
the newspaper men, who resent Mr..
Quay's saying that Mr.. Carson only
represented lot of irresponsible news
paper men. No politician has ever an
tagonized the Washington newspaper
men without paying very dearly for it.
Ex-Speaker Keifer will bear me out in
this assertion as also would the late
Schuyler Colfax if he was alive. Keep
your eye on Quay.
Mr.. Reed has been made Speaker be-
cause it is believed by the Republican
leaders that he can be relied upon to get
the best of the minority in their efforts
to maintain their rights in the House.
He is not expected to do this by his
tuperior knowledge of parliamentary
sactics, but by arbitrary decisions.
There will be exceedingly lively times
in the House when he attempts to de-
prive the Democrats of any of their
rights.
The newspaper correspondents are
heartily glad that the speakership farce
is ended. They were required by their |
papers to telegraph daily accounts of
the fight, when there was no fight. |
There has been no time within the last |
three months when the fact was not
perfectly plain to an impartial observer
that Reed would be Speaker. There
were two reasons for the exaggerated
newspaper accounts of the alleged con-
test. One was opposition to Reed and
the hope that real contest might be
brought about by the sham publica-
tlons, and the other was the desire on
the part of the correspondents to earn
their salaries.
The Democratic caucus to nominate |
House officers was called for last Friday
night, but owing to the absence of a |
quorum, was postponed until this
morning at 10 o'clock when Mr.. Car
Isle received the nomination for Speak
er and all ofthe old House officials were
No other business was
transacted by the caucus.
The question of who shall be chair
man of the ways and means committee
of the House is going to make hard feel
ings on the part of some of the Repub-
licans. Mr.. w. D, Kelley, Pennsylva-
mia, thinks he is entitled to it. but it is |
almost certain that Speaker Reed will |
give it to Mckinley, of Ohio.
The usual hustling and bustling
crowd of men and women attended the |
opening of Congress to-day. 1t ia an |
annual show that hundreds of Wash |
ington people attend regularly. I saw
faces in the galleries to-day that have
seen there on the first Monday in De-
cember for twelve years past. Attend
ing the opening of Congress and shak-