The Republican., 1890-07-11
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent.)

| senator mOETlII, cndlTuldD Oh the
com mittee on Finance, to-day called
up the Mckinley tariff bill, as amend.
ed by his committee. in the Senate
and made speech opening the de-
bate. the end of which no man is rash
J enough to attempt to set date for.
There was disposition on the part
of Senators favorable to the River
and Harbor bill to have that measure
disposed of before the tariff bill was
taken up, but owing to the fact that
there is doubt in the minds of many
Senators as to whether the President
will sign the River and Harbor bill.
if it is passed by the Senate and the
S nate amendments agreed TO by the
House. but little was done towards
antagonIzing the tariff bill with it.
Democratic Senators are openly
threatening to talk out the rest of the
Fifty-first Congress on the tariff bill.
unless the Republicans will promise
not to take up the Federal election
bill in the Senate at this session.
This can be done under the present
Rules of the Senate, if the Democrats
haye the nerve to carry out their
threats. Of course the Senate can, if
so disposed, change its Rules so as to
upset this little Democratic scheme.
but from conversations with a num-
ber of the leading Republican Sem
ators think the sentiment is at this
time against making the radical
changes in the Rules which would be
necessary to do it. Many Republican
Senators are under the impression
that there is no general demand by
the party throughout the country for
the enactment of a Federal election
law. so that it may be said that the
fate of that measure is in the hands
of the Republican voters of the coun-
try if they wish it passed let them
make that fact known to their Sem
ators, and it will be done. That's
the whole situation in nutshell.
U. S. Treasurer Huston, who has
been i'll for quite awhile has recover
ed and resumed his duties. Mr..
Huston is deservedly popular
official.
Ex-Representative Valentine. the
new Sergeant-at.Arms of the Senate,
has made jump into popularity by
raising four mammoth United States
flags at the feet of the Goddess of
Liberty on the top of the dome of the
Capitol, on the Fourth. Strange as
it may sound this is the first time
that the national flag has been raised
over the Capitol since that building
was completed, except when the
House or Senate was in session.
because of the Rules, which say that
the flags over the respective houses
of Congress shall Ee hoisted only
when they are in session, consequent
ly on all holidays and during the re-
cess of Congress there has been no
flag over the Capitol. This has been
surprising to all visitors, particularly
those from foreign countries, and Mr..
Valentine is deserving of credit for
having been the first one to solve
that problem OF how to raise the
flags. He had four stats temporarily
erected pointing north. south, east
and west, and it is probable that they
will be made permanent.
The agreement on the silver bill
still hangs fire, and if one listened 10
the opinions expressed by the con-
ferees, in private, he would soon be
convinced that no agreement was
possible. Nevertheless it is safe to
say that an agreement will be reach
ed, and that it will either provide
for the purchase and coinage of $4.-
500. 600 worth of silver each month or
of 4,500.0 900 ounces, and it is probable
that the bill will make the coin GER
tificates full legal tender. good for
either gold or silver. although the
last will not be acc0mplised without
stubborn fight. The Republican
conferees are now trying to get to-
gether In their ideas so az to act as
unit in this important matter. and it
is hoped that they will succeed.
Whatever is adopted should be Re.
publican measure pure and simple
without any Democratic suggestions
or assistance.
To-day is Individual suspension
day in the House, and what is to
come up later in the week is not yet
fully determined upon, though the
committee on elections will try to
get some of the contested election
cases disposed of. if the appropriation
bills, which usually have the right of
way, do not prevent.
Mr.. Blaine has gone to Maine and
is not expected to return for some
time, unless the complications with
Great Britain in regard to the Beh-
ring Sea Fisheries shall reach crisis.