The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-04
FROM WASHINGTON.
HOW sENAtURS AND REPREsEN.
fAfiVeS HEARD THE MESSAGE.
second Day of the Finy- First C,axrcs.-
The Most Important Matters 60 he Dis
eussed During the session. Preces,sinss
of Beth Houses

euased During the session Prccees,iss,
of beth Houses.
BURklu OF rhE TINES, wAsnIS',
r~S, December .3.-Tfe MOS. inter
esting question 10 sJuiherners that
Will come befo.v Congress is that Of ma.
n1nal election law. which act the proposed
, wv Na5urc is known in its embryo state il Tho
corruption Of the radical idea 10 cenfraliSe
thc government rs far as possible by a law
that may make Federal elections arbitrary
and a itomstlc. so 10 speak. and entirely sai
the vote 0f a bcfMocfatic iMaiofiiS.
II is known that senator sherman has one
bin for the Senate, and that alleged states
man oi The e.. o, T., Henry Cabot Lodge,
another Republican torpedo OF the Same
sort, for the House.
The first flourish sounded viii, oi course,
be general bla,, rh The party tom-toms
and other martial instruments to which the
orgens and penny whistles have been play
ihg mn overture 10 the theme OF the general
colored outrage prevailing in the south,
The big cartoon in the JUdqc represented in
very telling and effective colors and hg,lfes
the poor darky appealing 60 tie Cabinet,
all OF whom had fallen asleep under effect Of
his pathetic tale.
A hill might pass the Senate: but the
margin OF majority in the House is too
slim, and that body reflects the popular
VIII too closely TO undertake 10 follow Mr.
Cabot Lodge on a 'back iiailH tas The
OpOssum hunter calls in in tho vain at
tempt TO re~estahlsh the chaos Of recon-
structiOn days.
The country would be ashamed of il, and
not the least argnment against it is that
the immense NOrthern capital Rowing into
the south would resent il,
TARIFF TOURNAMENT
The Democratic caucus, having uttered a
clear declaration for tariff reform on the
line directed by Cleveland, Of course the
minority i'm the House will bring forward a
measure representative Of that policy. But
the Republicans, true 10 their theory Of
promises, will bring forward an opposing
tariff reform bill under such a name as may
beguile a Western farmer, while the actual
thing will soothe the prOtecti0nists.
That is, they may fondly hope TO execute
another master manuVre OF sneak politics
as said i'm the wise-saw, run with the
hare aud follow with the hounds. Those
who have seen "A fight ''by sections" i'm a tar
IN bill can form some idea Of the whimsical
and pleasant effect of the comedy when
Father Kelly, he of pig iron, declaims for
tariff reform, while Carlisle charged
TO reform with being protection.
OTHER QUESTIONS.
The Civil Service Commission will as
sault Congress with appeals for more ap-
and thugs will doubtless
be made warmer when the administration
policy is generally discussed and Lord
High EXecutiOner ClarksOn is punctured
by tongue Of orator and pen Of ribald scribe.
THE SILVER MEN
are determined to have something if they
cannot get what they want, and on this
question the party lines, Of course. will not
bo drawn. II they cannot get free coinage
they may ask for such "A compromise meas
ure as will be recommended in the forth
coming report Of the secretary of the Treas
ury.
Thus the Finy-frst Congress has four big
questions before it-viz.: The tarift, the
civil service, the silver question, and the
Worlds Fair All Of them are essentially
Of the caste known as business, and what
ever measure Of patriotism there may be to
either one, il will certainly have lobby as
well as a popular interest.
OLIVER TWISTS OF THE CABINET.
The voice of the Cabinet is heard calling
for "more. more," like the ghouls in that
lurid but classic tale entitled "Nathek."
Secretary Noble, eX-spOnsOr of Tanner,
wants more pension appropriations; Secre-
tary Proctor demands larger regular
army; Mr.. Tracey wants bigger navy,
and last, and mightest comes Wanamaker
calling aloud that merchandise parcels
should be carried in the mails. The latter
has more real Republican contemporary
in it than all the others.
Ii means larger and extended business
for the Wanamaker house.
HOW THE MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED.
President Harrison's first annual message
10 Congress was given patient hearing in
both houses. In the Senate when General
McC oOle began to read it everybody braced
up. but il was only for a few minutes.
after which there was general relapse into
easy attitudes or characteristic occupa-
lions. The Republicans. however, were gen
orally careful not to do anything that might
be construed as disrespcctful. Edmunds
sat with bowed head and crossed hands as
IL indulging in silent prayer ingalls, sat
rs straight as a ramrOd; sherman seldom
took his eyes of the reader; Evarts ner-
yOusly twrled his glasses; Cameron lay
back with his hands in his pockets, and
QUAY looked as if he were doing penance
and didn't like il. The senators from the
new Western States wore an air of supreme
and took pains TO show their
as little as possible.
SAWYER dozed little, but brought himself
up with round turn now and then.
on THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE
V Voorhees was busy bringing up the ar
rears of his private correspondence;
Reagan listened attentiyely. with his bent
hand as an ear trumpet; Vance was ap-
immersed in looking up legal
question. picking up and poring over vol
nme after volume of the statutes; Gray had
"A consultation with his private secretary,
PAYNE read an Ohio newspaper; Morgan
alternately listened and dOzed; Colquitt
was apparently attentive, but had iar-
away look in his ewes that showed that his
thoughts were far elsewhere; hearsl
couldn't spare much time from the cloak
room: Vest moved around the Cham
ber buzzing one chum after in seeming
Of what the Secretary was read
ing; Mcpherson tried hard to look inter-
ested, but did not succeed.
IN THE HOUSE
the reading Of the message was accompa-
MED by that respectful upr0ar which usu-
ally attends such ceremonies. AT the very
frst word everybody began 10 talk nj once.
As the message proc ecded. some concluded
tO rattle newspapers, Oh write letters, or
others, as was once sad by "a
prominent New Orleans capitalist IN de-
,cribing another occasion, went cut
into the cusDedOre and there walked
pro and CON and rice rerSd, talking with
heir constituents. There were rumors
atlOat that eX-COngressman Tim Campbell
would be on the floor by way of throwing "A
dash OF color into the proceedings, but this
was subsequently cOntradicted. The other
story was that Tim had left ChamberlaIns
with a bran new story, and was hnrrying TO
The Capitol with it when he suddenly dis
covered that he had forgotten the point, and
lurned back.
There is much comment on the circum-
stances which characterize
THE READING or PRESIDENTIAL MEs-
SAGES.
Nobody ever listens, nobody could gain
one intelligent idea Of the meaning If he
did. The whole business is unsatisfactory
and disrespectful. Some one suggested last
night that il might pay 20 use the phono-
graph for the purpose. The instrument
could, after being duly loaded, be placed
in some part OF the building where
those who wanted to listen might
10 so comfortably. Then, the Speaker
they could enliyen the perform
ance with incidental music, using johnny,
Get Your Cum" when breathing defiance to