San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-04

WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. l, '9G.
Speaker Reed, as the hands on the
big clock facing him indicated noon,
called the House to order and formal
ly declared the second session of the
Fitty-first Congress opened and ready
for business. After prayer by the
chaplain the Presidents message was
received. When the Clerk began
reading the message many of the
members were listless or intent upon
reading newspapers or writing letters;
but as the burning words of patriot
ism and party loyalty, which
of the professional reader could
make dull, began to pour forth every
form was erect and the closest auten-
ton was paid to every word. Speaker
Reeds face wasa study as the reading
of the message proceeded. He smiled
most expressively, and from time to
time nodded his head in manner
which said as plain as anything could
"those are my sentiments" and &C.
casionally brought his chubby hands
together, as if TO congratulate him
self for being member of the san
party as the man who could write
such ringing and timely message
is mt after his party had been defeated
The democrats too paid close atten-.
ton to the reading OF the message,
but their faces did not beam with sat
isfaction at the strong points as did
those of the republicans. Republicans
are all copgratulating the president
and the opinion is universal among
them that the message is one of the
best ever sent to congress; and 1T is no
aggeration to say that it has ma de
Mr.. Harrison more popular with
republicans in both branches of
congress than he has ever been before,
and the party leaders express the
belief that it will put an effective
quietus upon the small, very small
minority of the party in congress
that lost their heads over the result
of the late elections to such an extent
as to be willing to abandon one of the
cardinal principles of the republican
party in order to curry favor in
certain quarters.
1t is now an absolute certainty that
no backward steps will be taken by
the republicans during this session
of congress. The cry is forward,
forward" and the marching will be
done to the same old party music
that has led the party to its greatest
triumphs in the past, which will be
repeated in the future, just as certain |
as intelligence always in the course |
of time gets the best Of ignorance. |
The republicans are still in |
control of both branches of con-
gress, and republican ideas will |
dominate all the legislation, passed |
next March, and in spite Of demo-
cratic threats, hOwls and piteous APP |
peals, the original republican pro-
gramme, mapped out long before the
elections, is TO be carried out to the |
letter.
Mrs. Harrison has gone on the long |
deferred visit to her old indianapolis
bone, She would nave gone several |
weeks ago but the president wished |
her to stay and take part in the
reception rendered to the Brazilian |
naval officers who came here to pre-
sent this government with gold |
medal for its timely action in recog- |
nizing the young Brazilian republic. |
The reception took place at the white |
house Friday night and was very
brilliant affair. Tonight Secretary |
Tracy entertains the visitors, and to- !
morrow they start for home, not being
able to stand the cold of our eli |
mate at this season.
/ had q very interesting talk this
morning with Representative Dun
nell, chairman of the House commit
tee on the census, and author of the
apportionment bill, which was in
troduced at the last session and re-
ferred to that committee. He says
there will be no delay in reporting an
apportionment hill, and that it will
be along the line OF his bill, the diff
ference between the estimated and
actual population of the country being
the only drawback to the bill just
as it stands, and that, he thinks, can
easily be remedied. 1 asked him
what he thought of the proposition to
reduce instead Of increase the num-
Der of representatives. He said: at
will not do at all. Representatives
are nearly worked to death now, and
to increase the number of constitu-
ents which each of them have to rep
resent means to increase their work.
You may be sure that the apportion-
ment law enacted this winter will in
crease the mem bershlp of the House
to at least $50. I am personally in
favor of making the increase much
greater"
From another source 1 learned that
that it is proposed to amend the ap-
portionment bill in such manner as
to forever stop the State legislatures
from making partisan gerrymanders
IF tho Cnn oinna niotrioto Car-