The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-12-04
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
CURRENT COMMENTS ON PEOPLE
AND POLITICS.
Our Correspondent Writes Enter
tainly Of Men andlMeasures in
and Around the National
Capital


tainly Of Men andlMeasures in
and Around the National
Capital
Especial Correspondence Of the Gold Leaf.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. p, 1890.
Mr.. Harrison and Mr.. Blaine can
not continue their change of mind on
the part of one Of them. That be-
comes palmer and palmer every day
with those familiar with the inside
workings of the administration. Mr..
Harrison has finished his message, and
it has been shown to every member of
the Cabinet, except Mr.. Blaine. The
reason for this action on the part Of
Mr.. Harrison is that he has gone di-
rectly contrary to the views of Mr..
Blaine on at least two important mat
ters dealt with by the message, and he
has delayed showing the message to
Mr.. Blaine, fearing that it might cause
an open row between them. Of course
it will have to be shown to the Secre-
tary of State before Congress meets
but there will be no trouble, so far as
Mr.. Blaine is concerned. He made
his mind when the Mckinley bill be-
came a law that the Republican party
was doomed, and since that time he
has not bothered his head with mat
ters outside of his hobby, reciprocity.
The leaders of his party have nearly
all turned to him as the Moses to lead
them out of the wilderness, and that is
what is so CALLING to Mr.. Harrison,
in the shape of denomination but
one of Mr.. Blaine's warmest and closest
friends told me that unless there should
come a great change in the prospects
of the Republican party before 1892,
Mr.. Blaine will under no circumstances
accept the nomination, one defeat
being quite enough for him.
Unless a prominent Government
official is off in his predictions, there
will be vacancy in the Office Of Com
missioner of Pensions between this and
January, Mr.. Harrison having fully
decided that Raum shall go.
The Congressional lame ducks among
the Republicans are all trying to pick
out something under the Government
that will enable them to keep hold of
the public teat after the 4th of next
March, but it will be difficult matter
to provide for even a small number of
them.
One of the principal occupations of
the Republican leaders just now is
stiffening up the political backbones of
the small-fry Congressman as they get
in. About three out of four of them
want to revise the Mckinley tariff law
at the coming session. That, the
leaders are determined to prevent if
possible.
Several of the candidates for Speaker
of the next House have opened head
quarters here, but there are not enough
of the members-elect Of the Fifty-sec-
ond Congress yet here to make any,
thing like lively contest. But they
will all be here a little later, as an
extra session is believed to be almost
certain, which will make it necessary
to elect the Speaker about nine months
earlier than if there were no meeting
until December next.
The Farmers Alliance and its future
movements is much discussed by re-
turning Congressman, and many OF
them believe that consolidation Of it
and the labor organizations will take
place before the next Presidential CAM
paign. The Republicans fear the Or
ganization most, because it antagonizes
the principles of that party most. With
two or three exceptions any good Dem
ocrat could support the platform of the
Alliance.
The fight for free and unlimited sill
yer coinage is to be renewed as soon
as Congress meets and a pow erful
weapon, in the appointment of sue
cessor to Chairman Conger, of the
House committee on Coinage, Weights
and Measures, who resigned to 60 to
Brazil as U. S. Minister, is in the
hands Of Speaker Reed. Mr.. Reed is
one of the bitterest opponents of free
coinage, in the House, but for all that
it is not certain, although it is not
probable, that he will put an anti-silver
man at the head of that committee
The committee is said to be now evenly
divided on the question, so that in de.
Gliding upon the new member of the
committee, Speaker Reed will really de.
eide whether the committee shall report
free coinage bill.
Speaking of Mr.. Reed, the Republi.
cans are very much worried because
certain Democrats have determined
that Democratic committee Of the
next House shall investigate the meth.
DDS by which he was elected. There
is no contest. nor is there to be, but il
is believed that an investigation in
that district will show up great deal
of Republican crookedness, and the
Democrats propose doing it.
Many Democrats think the Repub.
lican Congressional apportionment bill
should be opposed on the ground thai
the census has not been correctly
taken. Of course, if the Republicans
! can keep quorum of their own meI
on the floor of the House no amount o.
opposition can prevent its passage but
it may not be amiss to show up certain
things about the census.
| Mr.. Harrison has shut his eyes te
the results of the recent elections, and
made up his mind to urge in his annua
message to Congress the passage BY
the Senate of the Force bill and by tht
House Of the notorious ship subsidy
bills. In short, he has, in spite Of ths
protests of some of, the most far
seeing members of his party, in
| cludiuy Mr. Rloipo deferniuo1 fo "a g
his lot with the radical wing of th'
Republican party. That however doe
not mean that the Force bill will b.
passed. All indications are against it
passage, as it is certain that more Re
publican Senators would now vot'
against it than would have done so a
the last session of Congress had it thel
reached a vote. Mr.. Harrison viii
also, it is said. strongly endorse tn