Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-11-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

1t seemed yesterday as if congress
was in session, from the large number
of statesmen who called at the White
House to see the president. AS each
had very Interesting information to
impart regarding the recent elections,
indicating the causes of defeat whether
the tariff bill, farmers alliance, school
bill, nti-Quayism, or Tom Reed, the
president must have been highly enter
tanned, if not instructed. Among the
early callers was Senator Spooner, of
Wisconsin, who stated in conversation
about his state that he knew the repub
licans were defeated ten days before
the election was held. The introduc-
tion Of the religious question he
regarded as suicidal to his party, as
to electioner in behalf of the democrats.
Whole congregations marched to the
polls to vote. The cause of Senator
Spooner's defeat was undoubtedly due
Germans, and other foreign elements of
his district to the utterances of the
leading republican papers OH the school
question.
The democrats are intensely inter-
ested in the selection of a successor to
Mr.. Reed, for the result in '92 will
depend largely upon the manner in
which the large majority of the house is
handled. The republicans believe that
if the democrats only have rope enough
they will hang themselves. Undoubt-
edly the democrats have the necessary
length of rope in their hands but it
will not be used for such suicidal act.
Whoever is elected speaker of the fifty
second congress will have "a political
advantage not to be despised. In veiw
of the large number of new members
coming into the next house, the leaders
are planning the speakership contest
80 that the man best fitted for the place
shall be elected. Every move will be
made after careful thought and after
due consideration of it's possible effect.
| The democrats realize that the situation
| is too grave, even after overwhelming
victory, to admit of experiments.
! Secretary Window is having some
difficulty in preparing his estimates for
the coming session of congress.
Though the Mckinley tariff law went
into effect on the 9th of October, goods
imported before that date may be with
drawn any time prior to the first of
February at the old rate of duty. 1t is
difficult to determine what the revenues
under the new law will be as the duties
under the old law come in with those
collected under the new law. At pres
ent the daily revenues exceed the daily
ordinary expenses, but there is no
means Of estimating what the custom
revenues will be after Feb. 1st. 1t is
not improbable that the largely
increased rates of duty in many
instances will reduce importations, and
therefore reduce the revenues. The
indications are that there will be some
very large deficiencies in appropriations
for this year to be provided for at the
next session.
The deficiency on account of pensions
will be enormous. Up to date there
has been S34 .OOO, 900 drawn out of the
treasury for pensions since the 1st OF
July. About s19,OOO,OOO of this sum
was drawn this month 1t is esti-
mated that the expenditures for pen.
siOns during the whole year will te
from $40, 900 to $3.50, 100000. 1t is
expected that the expenditures for the
year will be more than estimated. In
fact the expenditures for the first quar-
ter of the year amounted to $I4, ,OOO, 600
this carried out for the four quarters
} would make the expenditures for the
} year 10000 900, to meet which less
than 100000, 900 has been appropri-
ated. Meanwhile the number of pen.
sions is steadily increasing and the
deficiency may be greater than
e76. .O0O, 900.
The rumor that Gen. Clarkson will
succeed Sen. Quay as chairman of the
republican national committee does not
need the presence Of the former gentle
man for its refutation. 1t is not at al
likely that Gen. Clarkson will consent
to wear Mr.. Quay's old clothes especi
ally when the latter are savory
with the odor of defeat. For the mex
two years the national committee will
be in more or less moribund condition
Its work for the present has beer
!, accomplished, and until the next cam
paign begins there will be no exigencie
calling for unusual energy, judgement
or executive liability. The chairman
ship of this committee is just now al
honor of the emptiest kind. ant
MIR. Clarkson If he desires to remain
prominent in politics can find employ
,. ment in positions bringing more homo
and more reward.
The farmers alliance of this countr
have made a remarkable shown,
:. especially in Nebraska, Georgia, Mimi
esota, Illinois, and most notably of al