The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1890-12-19
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. IL.

Special to the FREE PRESS.
Republican senators are "betwixt and
between" in the matter of a change of
senatorial rules. The Senate more than
the House is stickler for precedents.
Hence the diffidence about shutting off
the supply of gas with which the minor
Ity floods the chamber upon the slight
est provocation. On the other hand the
leading men, and the oldest senators, by
the way, like Sherman and Edmunds,
recognize that system must be radical
ly wrong whereby important and need
ed legislation can simply be talked to
death. The present situation, too, Is
complicated by the pressure OF other
necessary business. While some Re-
publicans believe in an election law
they are of the opinion that legislation
for the relief of the financial stringency
in the country is more imperative.
This class, like Plumb, of Kansas, would
defer everything, even the appropria-
ton bills, TO give to American business
interests immediate relief. OF course
the quickest panacea they would pre-
scribe IS the free coinage of silver, but
there are other plans which with them
receive favor, prominent among which
is the interconyortible bond theory
that Secretary Window thinks will
meet present commercial requirements.
This is written to show that no matter
what may be the fate of the election act
many senators want to get down to work
of financial sort. 1t may occur, there
fore, that the lodge bill and the several
substitutes for it will fail, not because
the party does not hold to the principles
of ga fair count and honest elections, %
but because the time of this session is
too limited to do all the work that wise
policy and good government demand.
Democrats in Congress have been 80
busy congratulating themselves over
the retirement of prominent Republl-
cans that little thought has been given
to their own prospective losses. Now,
though, they are much worried over the
impending downfall of Senator Wade
Hampton, of South Carolina, They rea-
son that the retirement of this man is
but the precursor of disaster in other
southern states. Of course the Alliance
is the power of destruction. IL Is well
known by them that whoever comes
from South Carolina will still be q
Democrat in thought and action, but the
defeat of Hampton tells them that the
new political alliance is a double edged
sword which cuts both ways. Fromin-
ent southern congressman say that as
their section is largely agricultural the
election of an alliance senator In South
Carolina as an entering wedge will tend
to split the Solid South wide open.
AS already indicated in this cores
pondence the House has passed the
thirty-three public building bills which
have been pending as unfinished busl-
ness" since last May These bills slmp
ly authorize the erection OF buildings In
the cities named, but do not carry an
appropriation. This latter business is
left to the discretion Of the, committee
on appropriations and members thereof
say that there will be no hurry to pro-
vide the construction fund until the
real necessities of the government are
provided for and an understanding is
T6aCu0u DIS W IuC dLuOuhp WhiIh Soh w
spared for such public improvements.
Although the passage of these bills by
the House is equivalent to their sue
cessful end 80 far as Congress is
concerned, the friends of the different
cities are apprehensive as to their final
fate. President Harrison in his mes
sage warned Congress to 60 slow
in public building legislation, and fears
of presidential vote are entertained.
From this time each interested member
will turn his attention to the White
House to convince the President that
this "little public building is necessity
IN my district"
Although the proposition to inter the
remains of Gen Grant at Arlington has
been defeated by Democratic votes In
the House the committee on the Lib
rary say that the end is not yet. 1t is
believed that the demand OF the people
that the government shall have the
custody of the great generals BODY will
be so emphatic that Congress will he in
duced to reconsider Its late action.
Not this winter, however, will such a
movement be inaugurated.