Smyrna times., 1890-07-23
" VIC '7WtYI IETt tITTTN
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON July q. 1890

" -t1AA tA'NAO Jul ~ 4OJU.
Well! Political wonders will never
cease. After doing nothing but talk
about the Federal Election bill for
weeks past, the Republican Senators
have suddenly become clans on that
subject, and the Republican caucus
committee have mapped out a plan of
business that will carry the session well
into September, which does not include
the Federal Election Bill at all. Thew
propose that all the appropriation bills
shall be disposed of before the tariff
bill IS regularly taken up, although
should any of these bills not be ready
at any time, then the tariff bill will be
called up temporarily. This program
will of course have to lie adopted by
the caucus before it becomes official.
In the meantime what is puzzling the
men who look below the political sur
face, is, that the Senate Committee on
Elections is busily engaged in consid-
ering the Federal Election bill. and it
is known to few people that the COM
mittee, or rather its Republican mem.
bers, have decided upon several amend.
ments to the bill as it passed the
House. All of which looks to q ''man
up tree" as if the committee knew
that the Senate intended to take nm
this bill at the present session.
The House to-day Passed the Orig
inal Package" bill, after debate which
brought out the fact that the question
of "states rights" Is as live now as in
the days of Calhoun, and if the vote
upon this measure be taken as a test.
the states rights men are in majority
IN the House, but it is probable that
prohibition influences caused manv TO
vote for this bill who are generally
speaking opposed to anything which
even squints toward states rights.
The bill for national bankrupt law
is the next one to be disposed ofby the
House. 1t will be voted upon We'd
nesday afternoon. and from opinions
expressed by prominent members it is
safe to say that the bill will be passed.
1t is extremely difficult to frame a law
of this kind that will give satisfaction
to all classes, but everybody seems to
be agreed that some sort of a general
law is necessary on this subject, some
thing that will protect the interest of
the honest creditor and debtor.
Mr.. Blaine's reciprocity idea is not
seemingly making much headway a.
mong the Senators of his party, not
because it is not a good idea, but be.
cause of political and other reasons
However, if my information is correct
and think it is, Mr.. Blaine will have
an inning when the Behring Sea cor.
respondenoe goes before the Senate
which will probably be this week. that
Will console him somewhat for his die.
appointment. His last dispatch to the
British Government is the kind of doc.
ument calculated to make Young
America throw up his hat, and cheer
Tor the author of tho sentiments there.
In expressed. Whatever else NAV he
brought against Mr.. Blaine, it will he
acknowledged by all when tbis corres.
pondence is published, that he has
stood up nobly for the rights of the
United States,
Legislation on appropriation bills is
generally speaking not to be commen.
aed' but there is paragraph in the
General Deficiency bill, just reported to
the House, that most observans people
would like to see become law. It.
provides THAT hereafter, the secre.
tary of the Treasury in his annual re-
port shall include the revenues from