The Washington critic., 1890-02-13

IN his eyes. He drank the tumberful
down with one gulp, but his usual
smack OF the lips was absent II was
cologne spirits that some one had
placed on his sideboard, This ac.
counted for the pale look on the face of
the Congressman to-day which caused
SO much comment.
The Committee on the Alcoholic
Liquor Traiiic'will give q hearing one
day this week to Messrs Powell and
Stearns. who represent the National
Temperance Association of New York.
These gentlemen have regularly ap-
peared before this committee for the
past fifteen years, but up to the present
time Congress has fought shy Of com
mitting itself in favor of any national
liquor law such as advocated by the
Association Messrs. Powell and Stearns
want Congress to pass law prohibit
ing the importation of liquor into
Africa, and also the appointment of q
special committee to Investigate the
fiquor trafflc. The opponents Of the
Grout bill say that II committee is
appointed II will open the foodgatcs to
every temperance crank in the country,
and result in bringing the question for
ward as national issue in the next
campaign.
The friends of the Blair bill in the
House are becoming little shaky over
the prospects of its passage in the Sen
ate, and the seventeen Republican
members from the South have agreed
to go to work at once and do all in their
power to strengthen the week -kneed
ones in the Senate who may be induced
to vote against the bill on its final pas
sage. This is the first time the friends
of the bill in the House have felt the
least apprehensive about its fate
Heroic remedies are to be applied, and
1t will be urged by the Southern Re-
publicans that if the bill is defeated in
the Senate it will kill the Republican
party in the South.
Representative Hamilton G. Ewart
of North Carolina, who is one of the
leading Republicans In his section, said
to The CRITIC reporter this morning
that with the South the Blair bill was
the most popular measure ever intro
duced in Congress. 'It's a positive
fact" said Colonel Ewart, "thatifithe
Blair bill were put to popular vote in
North Carolina 1t would receive the ap-
proval of seven out Of every ten voters.
The fact that at Chicago the Republi-
can National Convention inserted in the
platform paragraph pledging the sup
| port OF the party to give national aid to
common schools makes il imperative
for this Congress to carry out that
| promise. And / want to say right here
that in my humble opinion that If the
Blair bill is defeated it will be
| goodbye to the Republican party
in the South. / heartily believe that of
the seventeen Republican members
from the South now in the House moi
more than three or four will come back
to the Fifty second Congress if the party
permits the Blair bill to die natura
death. The Blair bill, believe, offers
the only solution of the negro question
and yet such man as ingalls, is op
posed to the measure.
1t was the issue of the Blair bill and
the internal revenue question tina
brought about the election of Colone
Ewart, whose predecessor, Mr. johnson
was Democrat.
Representative Dorsey of Nebraska
will leave here on the 18th instan
with party of members of Congress
and others to attend the annual hors,
sale at Lexington, Ky. The party ha
not been yet made up, but Senate
Blackburn will be of It, A feature o
the Lexington sale this year will b
the offering of a number of Nebraskt
| horses for purchase.
One subject of discussion at the Cap
itol to-day was the letter of the colore(
man Astwood in regard to the action o
Congressman Grimes of Georgia il
leaving the Riggs House because Asst
wood was accommodated there at din
ner. The question was frequentl,
asked whether or not Mr.. Grimes woul,
take any notice of the letter in whicl
Astwood said that he was no gentleman
| The answer to that question is al
easy one. Mr.. Grimes will take n
notice of Mr.. Astwood's communica
ton. In the language of anothe
Southern member, "he could not affor
to, and,' continued that member, ''
see that Astwood, in his letter, bring
in the subject of the House rules
Now l would like to know what th
rules have to do with the matter of
white gentleman eating batter. cak
with nigger?"