Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-06-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondence Of the Standard.


rived Congressman are beginning to
disappear from their seats. Within
the next fortnight the House will
have visibly thinned out. Legislative
business has few charms for the aver
age Representative at this season,
when the watering and other places
are becoming SO delightful. If, as
bids fair to be the case, the session
lasts through the summer, there Will
not be enough members left to CON
stitutc Il quorum by the middle OF
July. To secure vacation, Repre-
sentative has merely to toddle away
any time he likes for as long period
as he desires, simply leaving line on
the Speakers desk asking to be ex-
cused for so many days or weeks. AS
a matter of form the Speaker submits
these requests by the lot together to
the House, and they are approved by
vote off-hand. Many members, how
ever, do not take the trouble to leave
anv such memorandum for the Speak
er, but merely go without saying any
thing. 1t makes no difference really;
no objection has ever been made to
liberties of this sort. There is moth
ing, in fact, to prevent a man from
being absent for a whole session from
his duties in Congress. On the con-
trary, it has happened repeatedly
Joseph Pulitzer, editor of the New
York World, while Representative
here, was only present in the House
about six days in session and hall,
at the end of which he resigned.
When the House is reduced below a
quorum, business goes on just as usual.
so long as no point of quorum Is
raised. In was in this way that, In
the last Congress, about dozen mem
bers passed the bill which incidently
compels free citizens of the United
States to inform the census enumer-
ators this year as to what diseases they
are afflicted with and the reason why
they chose or were obliged to mort
gage their property. In case quorum
is not present at any time and Is de-
manded the sergeant-at-arms sends
kilograms for members and arrests
them for duty if necessary. Some OF
the Representatives render this diff
Guilty by hiding themselves away some
where, so they cannot be found.
Three or four years ago IL was the
custom among certain newspaper cor
respondents to decry the alleged exclu-
siveness of the leading Democratic Off
Gals, and to represent that if Secretary
Blaine were Secretary of State his door
would be open all the time, and he
himself accessible to all callers. But
since Mr.. Blaine became Secretary OF
State, in March 1889, this extraordin-
airy accessibility has at no time been
apparent. On the contrary, his ex-
clusiveness has been the exclusiveness
of an English or Russian government
official, and since the change of admin
istration the Secretary of State has
not vouched to any newspaper in the
country q single interview or the
slightest bit of direct information
about any of the affairs of the State
Department. More then that, he
hasn't yet sent to Congress the papers
relating to our foreign correspondence
last year, which ought to have been
sent to Congress last December, when
the heads of the other Executive De-
partments made their annual report.
While the Secretary of State has
right to use his own discretion and
withhold, if he pleases, the courtesies
which are usually extended to the
press, but which are not prescribed by
either the constitution or the laws, he
has no right to withhold from the Con-
gress of the United States and the
American people the state papers
which the law says he shall submit to
Congress annually, just as the heads
of the other Departments send in their
annual reports.
The tenderest spot in the entire Nc
Kinley bill is about to be touched upon
by the Senate finance committee,
namely, the metal schedule. This
was fixed in the Mckinley bill to the
satisfaction of the manufacturers,
delicate and difficult task accomplished
by Representative Bayne, who in the
past few days has received more abuse
than credit for his pains. The Senate
finance committee was simply asked to
adapt the schedule as in the Mckinley
bill, without alteration in any partic-
ular. 1t is now pretty well established
that the duty on steel rails will be re-
duced. 1t is from the production of
steel rails principally that Mr.. Andrew
Carnegie gets his income of $1,000
per day. By the proposed reduction,
he would be reduced to the pittance
of 81 600 daily, and other manufac-
turers would be brought still nearer
penury.
Now that both Houses of Congress
are focusing the light of their gigantic
intellects ON the silver question, it be-
gins to be made apparent through the
transpicuous gloom which ordinarily
envelope these abstruse financial ques-
tons that it is not the tariff alone to
which the present depression of the
agricultural and other industries of the
country is to be attributed. 1t seems
that the demonstration of silver has
good deal to do with it.
Will the tariff question have the
right of way or will it take the side
track to allow the silver train to pass
it? That seems to be the question.
Congress on Saturday next will hon
er the memory of the late Samuel J.
Randall drought the usual exercises on
what il known as eulogy day. 1t will
be time of more than usual interest
for two reasons. First, because of the
greatness OF the man himself, and,
then, ON account of the eminence of
the men who will deliver eulogic adj
dresses. In both Senate and House the
brightest minds will pay tribute to the
virtues OF Randall, and their value
will be much enhanced from the fact
that they will be the honest expressions
of honest men. No men ever in Con-
gress was ever more respected or per-
sonally more popular then Randall,
and his associates therefore will do full
justice to his memory.
Reed, who as speaker was expected
to close up business in time for an
early adjournment of Congress, admits
his failure, and says this will be long
session. This is quite q come-dQwn
for the firm and energetic speaker who
with cast-iron rules which has given
him as full control over the house as
master ever had over slave, has not
been able to do any better than his
predecessors in the Office when the
minority, no matter of what politics,
was indeed q terror. Tho truth is