Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-04-17
tFrom our regular Correspondent |
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, d. c., April. 7, 1890

NAsdlNOION, H. u, n pTii- q, lSSU.
Senator Hoar. chairman of the Senate
committee on Elections has been request
ed by the members of that committee to
prepare Federal election BILL they not
taking kindly to Representative Lodges
blanket bill on the same subject which is
now under consideration by the House
committee on Elections. From views ex-
pressed by the republicans of that com
mittee it is probable that the bill to be
prepared by Mr.. Hoar will be very mild
one. the object In view being principally
to experiment in order to observe the
workings of such law.
Representative McComas' bill to prevent
gerrymandering of Congressional districts,
and which also provides that Representa-
tives to the Fifty-second Congress shall
be elected from districts composed of the
same territory as those from which the
Representatives in the Fifty first Congress
were elected. promises to bring on II big
political fight in Congress. The House
committee on the election of President and
Vice President and Representatives has,
by party vote, decided to report the bill
favorably The democrats on the COM
mittee bitterly opposed the reporting Of
the bill and members of that party will do
all they can TO defeat the bill in the House,
but as the republicans are solid in their
support of the measure its passage Is
reasonably certain.
Gen. Lewis A. Grant, of Minnesota, has
been appointed assistant Secretary of War
under the recent act of Congress creating
that office. He is Vermonter, but since
the war has resided in Iowa and Minnesota.
tie has brilliant war record having been
breveted Major General October 49, 1864
for gallant and meritorious conduct be-
fore Richmond and In the Shenandoah
valley
Senator lfiscock's select committee OF
the Senate has held one meeting to con-
slider the Worlds Fair bill. and but little
was accomplished because the Chicago
people did not satisfy the members of the
u
Another meeting will be held this week
when the Chicago folks will attempt to
satisfy the enormous curiosity of some Of
the members of the committee. The com
mittee does not seem disposed to hurry the
matter at all and some of Chicago's friends
here are getting alarmed.
The Iowa republicans in Congress do
not take any stock In the newspaper stories
saying that the prohibiting law in tina,
State will BE- repealed Senator Allison
said I'm my opinion 1t will not be repeal
ed, Senator Wilson 81 am quite sure the
movement for its repeal does not represent
the dominant republican sentiment of the
State" Representative Flick II don't
believe that the law will be repealed or
modified Representative Dolliver From
my Information doE't believe the law
will be repealed" Representative Sweeney:
My opinion is that it will not be repeal
ed" Representative Laly: "In my op-
inion there will be no change in the law"
Representative Reed II don't think the
law viii be repealed by the present legisla-
ture-" Representative Conger; THE
law will not. and should not. be repealed"
Representative Kerr II don't think there
is any danger OF repeal" Representative
Struble II don't think the law will be
repealed"
Representative Henderson has introduc-
ed joint resolution providing for the
election OF United States Senators bv the
qualified voters Of the several states in
stead OF by the legislatures as at present
1t is possible that it may be adopted by
Senate as at present constituted, will never
adopt such law
The Senate took up the Montana con
tested election case last week but did not
dispose of it. It will come up again this
week and probably be disposed of
An effort will be made to get the new
tariff ti III before the House the last Of this
week, but the chances are rather against
it. II has been before the whole committee
nearly week, and although numerous
hearings have been given no changes have
been made, and 1t is not probable that any,
of any consequence. will be made. The
republican opposition to the bill, about
which the democratic papers have been
very much concerned, is of very mild
sort, aud in no way jeopsrdizes the final
passage of the bill.
Two democrats of the House-Stone of
Missouri and Lane, of Illinois-got into u
squabble on the pension question and the
latter gentleman referred to the former as
being las ignorant of the relations between
the government and the soldiers as Hot
tentot."
The democrats of the House had another
tt of the sulks when the vote was taken on
the bill for the admission of Idaho and re-
fused to vote. Speaker Reed counted
enough of them to make quorum and
Idaho is half way in the Union.
At &C Inference of republican Senators
held Saturday night it was agreed that the
republicans of both House and Senate
should get together on the silver question.
and perfect bill that will pass both.