Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1890-12-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.

tFrom Our Regular Correspondent
Washington, Dec. l 1890.
Speaker Reed. as the hands of
the clock indicated noon called
the House to order and formally
declared the second session of
the Fifty-frst Congress opened
and ready for business. After
prayer by the chaplain the Presi-
dents message was received.
When the clerk began reading
the message many of the members
we're listless or intent upon read
ing newspapers or writing letters;
but as the burning words of patri-
otlsm and party loyalty, which
not even the sing-song tones of
the professional reader could make
dull, began to pour forth every
form was erect and the closest at
tention was paid to every word
Speaker Reeds face was g study
as the reading of the message pro-
ceeded. He smiled most express.
lively, and from time to time nod
ded his head in a-manner which
said as plain as anything could
"those are my sentiments"
and occasionally brought his club
by hands together, as if to con-
graduate himself for being a
member of the samesparty as the
man who could write such ring
ing and timely message just af-
ter his party had been defeated.
The democrats too paid close at
tentien to the reading of the mes
sage, but their faces did not
beam with satisfaction at the
strong points as did those of the
Republicans. Republicans are all
congratulating the President and
the opinion is universal among
them that the message is one of
the best ever sent to Congress;
and it is no exaggeration to say
thrt it has made Mr. Harrison
more popular with Republicans in
both branches of Congress than
he has eyer been before, and the
party leaders express the belief
that it will put an effective quietus
upon the small, very small minor
ority of the party in Congress that
lost their heads over the result of
the late elections to such an ex-
tent as to be willing to abandon
one of the cardinal principles of
the Republican party in order to
curry favor in certain quarters.
| had very interesting talk
this morning with Representative
Dunnell, chairman of the House
committee on the census, and au
thor of the apportionment bill,
which was introduced at the last
session and referred to that COM
mittee. He says there will be no
delay in reporting an apportion-
ment bill, and that it will be along
the line of his bill, the difference
between the estimated and actual
population of the country being
the only drawback to the bill Just
as it stands, and that, he thinks,
can easily be lemedied. [ asked
him what he thought of the prop
osition to reduce instead of in
crease thenumber of Representa-.
tives. He said: at will not do at
all. Representatives are ne ,rly
worked to death now, and to in
crease the number of constituents
which each of them have to reprs-
sent means to increase their work.
You may be sure that the appor-
tionment law enacted this winter
will lncrease the membership of
the House to at least $50. I am
personally in favor of making the
increase much greater
From another source | learned
tnat II is proposed to amend the
apportionment bill in such man
ner az to forever stop the State
legislatures from making parti-
san gerrymanders of the Congress
ional Districts. Certainly such a
law is badly needed wheu the dem
ocrats are openly threatening to |
gerrymander every state in which
they control the Legislature in
such q manner as to practically |
shut out tie Republicans.
Some uneasiness was telt when
he house opened this morning
quorum of Republicans;
mt from diligent inquiry l am
,ertain that a quorum o Republi-
ans will be here this week, and J