The Globe-republican., 1890-07-23
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
special Correspondence to the GLOBE RE-

WASHINGTON. d. c.. July 2lst.
The democrats in Congress are in some
what of a dilemma. They want to put on
an economical streak and howl ut the
republicans for extravaganza and they
are afraid if they do. the liver and harbor
bill will be placed in jeopardy as the con-
servatiye men Of the Senate might insist
upon letting this measure lie over until
the next session. With all their constl-
tutional scruples democratic Senators are
strong riverhnd harbor men. and they
are more annoyed at the prospects OF IFS
failure than the republicans who accept
it as the duty of the government 10 look
after public improvements.
Uncle Joe Cannon. of Illinois. as he
is called. makes one of the best chairmen
which the committee on appropriations
has ever had since it was created by the
great ..cOmmoner.' Thad Stevens. Can
non makes little or no pretense TO ora
tory. but he knows how TO make state
ment so plain that even the dullest of
comprehension can understand it. An
other thing. he knows what he is talking
about, or else he don t talk. and he works
as hard to earn the legislative wages as
any mill operative in America: hours
and all. Honest joe has come to be
something more than Il nickname. Mr..
Cannon has been introduced ut this time
because he is "A man who is good at fig
ures and he has studied the financial
question sufficiently long to come to the
conclusion that the government is not on
the eve of impending ruin and the treas
ury will not be bankrupt as the result of
extravaganza in this Congress. Mr.. Can
non says that there will be Il small sum
on hand from the revenues of the next
fiscal year. something over hundred
million dollars with which to meet any
little bills presented after the regular eX-
penses of the government have been met.
This simple statement backed up by the
facts and figures has sank deep into the
souls of those democratic congressman
who have of late been So solicitOus about
the treasury and its contents that they
could not sleep these hot nights. But as
Mr.. Cannon has thoroughly pricked this
financial sensation, the democrats are
turning to the proposed election law for
aid and comfort and will not rely entire
ly on Republican extravaganza" to
who"p 1t up with the people.
This federal election act has come to Il
temporary standstill in the Senate. If
a vote could be secured the republicans
could easily pass it, and thus guarantee
pure and honest elections to the country.
but some republican senators doubt the
wisdom of precipitating Il conflict over a
change of the rules at this late day in the
session. As every body knows the demo-
Gratis are takers every one of them, and
snowballs will be in bloom before they
die for want of breath. Then. too. these
republicans contemplate with horror the
necessity they will be under of listening
to these speeches, particularly, as now.
with the thermometer calling out the
weather in three figures. Obstinacy in
the performance of duty, though. is a
republican characteristic, so if that eau
Gus committee decides that the federal
election act must have consideration.
democratic senators might as well pro-
vide for holding their funeral services in
the Senate chamber, for they will have
TO stay there until they are dead and
buried. 1t would simply be question
of the ''survival of the fittest'' and it is a
weak mind that does not know which is
the fittest 20 survive.
If Speaker Reed does not stop granting
leaves of absence, he will soon have his
legislative pupils more scattered than
they would he if they went up in pow
der mill explosion. Nearly a hundred
and twenty five of them are now at home.
paying more attention to their prospect
tive attendance upon the next Congress
than they do to their actual presence in
this. While a hundred or so are not any
where near the half of the House, and
hence quorum are in this city, still it
must be remembered that many of those
present are democratic statesmen who
are more punctual in answering to their
names when the call is for drinks than
they are.when the call is only in the in
terest of national legislation.
The President intends to spend the
next Sabbath with his family at Cape
May. His steady attention to public du-
ties at this season of the year is some
thing unusal. The cabinet. too, are fol-
lowing the good example set by their
chief. At the cabinet meeting this week
every member but Secretary Blaine was
on hand the gentleman named having by