Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1890-09-25
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent

to the lack of a quorum of their own
members; are practically in the power
of the democrats, as far as any addi-
tional legislation which does not meet
their approval, is concerned. In spite
of the efforts made to get the repub-
| ilcans here this week there has not been
at any time within twenty-five OF a
quorum present on the floor Of the
House. and the democrats are openly
Boosting that the House can do nothing
else at this session without their con-
sent. The circumstances surrounding
the cases Of most of the absent repuhi-
cans, are such that it hardly seems fair
to harshly criticise them, and yet it is
believed that the republican party at
large is losing much more by their being
away from here than it can possibly
gain by the work they are doing in
their respective districts, Without
them it will be impossible to pass Rep
resentative Boothman's joint resolution
invalidating the recent gerrymander Of
Ohio. on account of certain territory
being left out, and the democrats will
have the power, if so disposed, TO pre-
vent the House acting npon the report
of the conference committee on the Nc
Kinley bill when it is made, and there
are other important matters, including
the contested election cases, that might
be acted upon with a quorum Of re-
publicans present. 1t is only fair to
say that the managers expect a quorum
this week.
The House has decided that the OBJ
iectionable portions of the speech re-
Gently made by Representative Kennedy
of Ohio, shall be expunged from the
Record.
Speaker Reed has signed the River
and Harbor bill, which was Oh his table
for about a week.
The Raum investigation was formally
closed Wednesday. and report is ex-
pected from the committee at once.
The Senate has passed the bill re-
pealing the Timber Cultivation act, and
has agreed to the conference report on
the Railroad land grant forfeiture bill.
There is lots OF scandal flying around
in connection with the efforts of the
lottery lobbyists to delay the adoption
of the anti-lottery bill. which was
passed Tuesday afternoon by the Senate,
without dissenting vote. 1t is said
that one prominent Senator was offered
1925, 900 in cash if he would manage in
some way to get the bill delayed, and
another $4,000 for the same purpose.
1t is also said that Senator Evarts and
ex-President Cleveland have been offered
retainer of S250,O00 if they will be-
come counsel of the lottery company in
order to have the Supreme Court pass
upon the constitutionality of the new
law. If these gentlemen accept the re-
tainer they are expected to get out an
Injunction restraining Che Postmaster
General from putting the law into effect
until the Supreme Court renders de-
cision. The lottery would willingly
pay $3.50, 900 for one years unrestricted
use of the mails, and it would probably
take longer than that to get case
throughsthe Supreme Court.
Representative Enloe, the checklist
democrat in the House, for the ninety
! ninth time made an ass of himself. when
| Speaker Reed refused to recognize him
by shouting; Il want you to UNDER
stand Mr.. Speaker, that when you re-
turned from Maine was at the head of
the democratic side" The Chain was
not aware, replied the Speaker, that
the democratic side had any head; it is
gratified to be at last informed of the
fact" Then everybody laughed except
poor Enloe.
Following are the gentlemen form
ing the conference committee, now en-
gagged in considering the Mckinley
tariff bill: House Mckinley, Burrows.
Dingley, Bayne (Republicans), Mills,
Mcmillan and Flower (Democrats).
Senate-Aldrich, Hiscock. Sherman,
Allison (Republicans), Vance, Carlisle
and Voorhees, democrats } The i'm
preston is that the committee will be
ready to report early next week, and
that the bill will not be radically
changed in any respect from what it
was when passed by the Senate.
The Treasury department did not get
stampeded by the democratic attempt
to unsettle the business of the country
by yelling panic but went right
along in the sensible course mapped
out by Secretary Window, and the re-
suit is that even the men most active in