Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-12-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Lrron our reruIsr cors.posasDl. I

unexpected shock when the news oi
the action Of the convention OF the
National Farmers Alliance In protest
ing against the passage OF the Force
bill reached them; it staggered them
for time, and when they recovered
their wits they began TO abuse the Al
lance. But II is believed that this pro-
test will have great weight with the
northwestern republican Senators. and
together with the movement OF num-
Der of republican Senators, who are
said TO have determined not to vote for
that bill unless Speaker Reed will prom
ise TO allow bill for the free coinage oi
silver to be voted on In the House,
which he has so far refused to do, II
will certainly Jeopardize that infamous
measure.
The feature of the debate last week
In the Senate was Senator Gray's argu.
ment against the constitutionality
of the most obnoxious clauses Of the
Force bill and much to the surprise Of
the democrats, and also, suspect, oi
the republicans, Senator Teller agreed
with all that he said relating to the
clause providing for domiciliary visits.
The republicans have caucussed on the
proposed change of the Senate rules for
the purpose of forcing the bill through,
a laReed, but they failed to agree. 1t
is now believed that II the bill passes
at all, which is far from certain, 1t will
be greatly modified.
The democrats In both House and
Senate, satisfied of the justness Of the
demands of the Farmers Alliance for
an increase in the amount ofmoney In
circulation, stand ready to vote for the
free and unlimited coinage of silver
whenever they can get an opportunity,
and so many republicans are ready to
vote with them that the passage Of one
of the many bills that have been In
troduced would be certainty were 1t
not for the opposition of Speaker Reed,
who has so far been able to control the
legislation that goes before the House.
It is stated that Mr.. Harrison would
veto 1t If passed, but that doesn't wor-
ry anybody. Ifit should be passed and
he shonld veto it, good bye to him po-
litically. He would be as dead as Ru-
therford B. Hayes.
Notwithstanding the snubbing he
got from the republicans of the Senate
Finance committee at the last session,
Senator Stanford has introduced again,
G1@aaasnR name. his bill for loaning
Government money upon farm mort
cages, and requested that 1t lie on the
table until he makes speech in its IA
vor. He has an idea that this bill may
nominate him for President in 1892.
Unless Commissioner Raum has a
hide as tough as rhinoceros he must
have smarted all over at the allusion to
his management or rather mismanage-
ment of the Pension Bureau, made dur
ing the discussion In the House which
preceded the passing of the Pension
appropriation bill. Several dramatic
incidents occurred, one of the most
striking being when Representative
Morrow stated that the amount carried
by the bill-$133, ,OOO, 900 would be suf-
ficient to pay all pensions for the next
fiscal year. "Bet you $1,000 to $500
that it will not" yelled Representative
Biggs rushing down the center aisle.
In moment the House was In good
natured uproar, which Mr.. Biggs added
to by saying: "Ask the people of Cali
fornia who stands foremost among
them, w. w. Morrow or Marion Biggs
and the answer will be $4,000 majori-
typ He sat down amid shouts of
laughter. .s"
Secretary Noble has undertaken the
task of fighting the pension sharks and
bets are already offered that they will be
able to drive him out of the cabinet.
He has aimed blow at their most val
liable point-the pocket-by having a
bill introduced in the House to reduce
the fee for securing an increase of PEN
sion from $40 to 81. Corporal Tanner,
who has been growing richer and rich
er every day since he was kicked out
of the Pension Office ard hung out his
shingle as an attorney, Is particularly
bitter against Mr.. Noble, who, he says,
at the beginning of the trouble which
led to his retirement from the head of
the Pension office, approached him with
these words: "Why, they tell me, sir,
that you are granting more pensions
than Black did,"
Representative Dockery's resolution
for an investigation of the
charge that certain Senators and Rep
have entered into a pool
for the purpose of speculating In silver
while the silver bill was pending at the
last session of Congress, and that they
pocketed several million dollars in
profits, is "hung up. In the House COM
mittee on Rules of which Speaker Reed
is chairman and it lie said twill remain
there because a number Of the Speak
er's friends have their pockets full of
the ill-gotten "boodle." i
After many trials and tribulations
the International copyright bill has
been passed by the House.
The protest of the farmers Alliance
convention against the Conger Lard
bills was presented to the Senate by
Mr.. Paddock, Saturday.