Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-09-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Congress seems to be growing
more and more sensational as the
session grows longer. There have
been few weeks of late that either
the house or senate, oftentimes
both, has not furnished the coun-
try with something of a sensational
nature. Before people had fin
ished talking of the uproar and
the two personal encounters which
took place upon the floor of the
house last week, Senator Ed
munds, freshened up by a week
vacation, sprung an entirely new
one by introducing a resolution
providing tor a congressional re-
cess FROM September 70 to Novem.
ber 10. He says he introduced
the resolution without reference to
any particular measure, and with
out consultation with members Of
his party, and that he did so be-
cause he regards the extra three
weeks before the beginning of the
regular session as necessary to dis
pose of the many important meas
ures already upon the senate cal
endar.
The republicans, naturally, take
kindly to the idea, as they had al
ready been conierring with Mr..
Harrison on the feasibility of his
calling an extra session to meet
Immediately after the November
elections. The democrats do not
like it all, as they see in it only a
desire to get more time in which
to pass the Federal election bill.
An amusing feature of the situa-
ton is that the democrats, al
though having heretofore strenu-
ously denied that their sudden
agreement to set a date for taking
a vote upon the tariff bill was the
result of an agreement with the
republican leaders which involved
the postponement Of the election
bill until the next session, now
tacitly acknowledge that it was,
by charging the republicans with
having broken faith with them by
proposing to take up the election
bill before December.
There is lots of talk among the
democrats about filibustering to
prevent the Edmunds resolution
being voted upon when it is called |
up. Such talk is altogether pre-
mature at this time, as it is not
yet apparent that the resolution
stands any chance of being adopt |
ed. A majority and a large ma
jority of the republican senators
undoubtedly favor this or a SINH
lar resolution, with the dates
changed a little, but so did a ma
jority favor a change in the senate
rules; but that change was not
made because the consent of a few
senators could not be obtained.
There are a few republican sena-
tors who have most decided OBJ
lection to returning here before
December, and whether they can
be talked into voting against their
inclinations is problematical.
The reciprocity idea is begin
to squint toward countries not
1t has been proposed
to include coffee, tea and hides in
the list Of articles upon which the
president may place retaliatory
duties if the countries from which
they come do not reclprocate Tor
their free entry into our ports.
The fact that the United States is
in need offoreign markets for its
surplus Of manufactures and other
products seems TO be slowly
percolating through the brains of
our statesmen.
The senate is not progressing as
rapidly as the republicans would
like with the tariff, and this week
several night sessions are to be
held. The sugar question is eX-
pected to make lots Of trouble
when it is reached this week.
Senator Allison will, it is said,
make an open fight against the