Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-08-22
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondence of the standard


Mr.. Harrison will tomorrow leave
for Boston where he hopes to make
himself solid with the G. A. r., at its
annual encampment. But perhaps
a gentleman named Alger may have
something to say about that. Several
members of the Cabinet will go along
to help their chief.
The River and Harbor bill, by pre-
vious agreement, displaced the tariff
bill in the Senate to-day.
Speaker Reed will have many
things to account for in the general
day of reckoning, which comes to all
men; but if he persists in his efforts
to prevent an appropriation being
made to erect new government
printing office, and an accident oc-
ours, and it is liable any time, in the
present death-trap resulting in the
loss of many precious lives, that will
be the most terrible of all. The old
building now used has been pro-
nounccd dangerous to health and life
by every competent architect who has
examined it, and there have been
number OF them. Its floors settle as
much as three inches when heavily
loaded, as they arc almost constantly;
its walls have cracks in them big
enough to put base balls into. and the
whole structure shakes and shivers at
every revolution of the machinery,
and yet more than 1000 men and
women engaged in working for this
great and wealthy government are
compelled to take their lives in their
hands by working daily in this build
ing. The Senate passed an amend
ment to an appropriation bill provid-
ing for new building; but, by order
of Speaker Reed the House refused to
concur
The subject of most interest before
the Lower House of Congress at pres
ent, is the code of Rules, for the gov
ernment of that body.
The reply of Mr.. Breckenridge to
Gen. Henderson caused quite sensa-
ton in the House, not only for what
he said, but by his ability to attract
ones attention. He said that friction
between the Speaker and the mem.
bers of the House had been predicted
when the new code of Rules was
adopted. He was not now surprised
when the Speakers partiality was
called in question. But the true
judgment oi the country would be,
that however we'll the rules might
produce political legislation, they had
failed as to that great domain OF legis-
latiOn which lay outside of the fierce
contest of party. They might carry
through n jug-handlcd tariff bill, but
they did not carry through the general
appropriation bills, necessary for the
sustenance of the government. The
majority, under these rules, might put
upon the statute books force bill, in.
iquitous in its provisions and Infamous
in its object; but it could not obtain
the commendation Of the people for
its action on the general legislation of
the government. The force bill could
not escape the fierce criticism of the
people; for on account OF the absence
OF discussion of all matters of general
importance in Congress there was
necessity for discussion elsewhere in |
the press, at the fireside and the as
semblages of the people. OF the bills
which had passed under the rules of
the House few had become laws, and
few OF those which had would, in his
opinion, remain long upon the statute
books.
There was great laughter in the
House when he contrasted the differ
ence of the rulings by Speaker Reed |
and those Of Mr.. Carlisle and Randall. |
He said that he had no criticism to |
make upon the Speaker. If the
gentlemen, on the other side were
satisfied with that officer Heaven
forbid" that he should remove that
satisfaction. If they are willing to |
accept the Speaker as a fair type of |
their party he would utter no dissent. |
The Speaker had won his supremacy.
He had been the Republican leader
on the floor. The Republicans had
made him their leader in the chair,
and he had exercised that leadership.
Mr.. Peters, also protested against
disturbing old issues and bringing,
and creating a state OF irritation in
that deliberative body. Amongst
other things this Republican repre-
sentative said: "Why stir up these
animosities? Why bring up these
unpleasant questions that divide par
ties and separate the north from the
SOUTH" Gas if the Democrats did it. J
He was followed by Mr.. Boutelle, in
an effort to fawn like a hound be-
fore the Speaker, and pretend to de-
fend him; but every thing he said
was too sickly to be scattered, too
tiresome to write about, and was even
too weakly delivered to listen to.
1t is said that the Star-eyed Goddess
looks seventeen years younger than
she did before Secretary Blaine wrote
his reciprocity letter.
Mr.. McKinley's heart is swollen
and sore, and his epiglOttis sinks down
with pop, when he sees Mr.. Blaine
coming. The handriting is on the
wall in Kansas, in letters six yards
high, and not higher than they are
thick, and it has been observed by
Senator Plumb after the people of
Il