The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-08-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
MATTERS, THINGS AND EVENTS AT THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
More About the Political Situation From
Our Own Correspondent.
From our regular correspondent.

"ASHlNGIONJ aug. 1l'i'0P"oNi
audacity can scarcely 60 further than
it did on Saturday when one OF the
doorkeepers of the house, claiming to
be acting under ms tructions from the
speaker, attempted to use force to pre-,
vent Representative Enloe leaving
the house for few minutes. Mr.
Enloe, as any other American citizen
would have done, insisted upon his
right to 90 and come as he pleased.
Later, Mr.. Enloe brought the matter
before the house as a question of per
sonal privilege, and very naturally
wanted to know if the speaker bad is
sued such instructions, and if so, by
what authority.
The speaker denied having issued
such instructions, but at the same
time stated it as his opinion that the
doorkeeper had done right. Saint
Joseph Cannon, who is second only to
Mr.. Reed in audacity, defended the
action of the insolent doorkeeper
Mr.. Enloe protested that if officers OF
the house were to be given the au-
thority to keep members IN the house
against their wills, they would some
day keep them out Of the house by
the same authority. The matter was
finally referred to the committee on
the Judiciary, and a majority of that
committee being Republicans, but
little is TO be expected in the way Of
justice.
Truly one might ask, under what
form of government do we live? Oliver
Cromwell found it necessary to use a
regiment of soldiers to dispense the
English parliament; but the myrmi.
dons of Speaker Reed, without the
strength of an armed body, attempt
to control the actions of Democratic
members of the house by sheer audac-
ity. What a spectacle for a free
country!
1t is now apparent that the infa.
nous Federal election bill is to be
railroaded through the senate by
force of the party whip Justify
welded by that sanctimonious but
unscrupulous son of New England,
Senator George f. Hoar. 1t has been
reported to the senate and put on the
calendar and in order to facilitate its
passage the resolution providing for
the adoption of a gag rule, to cut off
debate, has been introduced and re-
ferred to the committee on rules. The
talk about the bill having been modi-
fled by the committee is bosh it has
been simplified to certain extent,
but it remains one of the most OBJ
noxious measures ever attempted to
be forced upon defenseless people.
History will rightly characterize it as
an attempt to Polanderize the South.
Senator Vance stirred up the sena-
torial menagerie on Saturday by
showing how unjust the tariff bill as
it now stands is to the agricultural
interests of the country. Mr.. Vance
made an unsuccessful attempt to have
certain clauses amended and the re-
publicans, as if to make the bill still
more unjust to the South, adopted an
amendment raising the duty on cotton
ties.
Mr.. Blaine's reciprocity idea is
ahead, and the indications are that it
will certainly be adopted by the
senate, but in the house, where
Speaker Reed, who is bitterly opposed
to lit, is sole monarch, it may pos
sibly be defeated. Messls. Reed, Nc
Kinley and others of the Chinese wall
high protection wing of the Republi-
can party are trying to convince MIR.
Harrison that it will be ruinous to
him and his party for him to send a
message to congress favoring reciproc-
ity, as he has promised to do.
The Republicans of the house, par
ticularly Mr.. Reed and his coterie,
have persistently antagonized the
working men of the country during
this entire session of congress, and il
they do not hear from it ut the com
ing elections it will be strange indeed
The employees of the government
printing office are threatening to make
trouble because an amendment pro.
viding for the erection OF new build.
ing for that establishment was stricken
out in the house. The need of this
new building is conceded by all, but ii
is refused in order to enable the Re-
publicans to pose as economists.
Senator Morrill,, who has gone away
i'll, is not in favor of reciprocity; he
says its only logical outcome will be
free trade.
Mr.. Wanamaker says the new style
of postal cards in several sizes will be
almost equal to penny letter postage.
Mr.. Wanamaker is mistaken; there is
as much difference as there is between
the present postmaster general and a
Statesman.
The entire administration and all OF
the Washington pension attorneys,
either in person or by proxy, have
gone to the G. A. R. encampment at
Boston. The first named is in search
OF political capital and the last of hard