Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-02-19
THE NORTHWEST
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular COrrespoDdeUt.l


w. w. Dudley, of "bloeks Of five"
notoriety and ex-Assistant Postmaster
General Clarkson, both shining lights In
the republican national committee, are,
il my informant isn't mistaken, end he
assures me that he isn't now handling
"blocks of five" hundred dollar bills as
the discussing officials of Jay Gould's
Western Union Telegraph lobby which
is said to have divided $50, 900 among
certain members of the House for the
purpose of defeating Mr.. Wanamaker's
postal telegraph bill. The bill has
really never had much chance OF get
ting through, because of lack OF gen.
eraI interest In it, but Dudley and
Clarkson made Gould believe that it
was certain to go through unless some
thing was promptly done to prevent 1t,
and the particular "somethiDg" in this
case was the paying out of big pile OF
the little wizards" money.
Another scheme backed by a big lob
by is the Nicaragua Canal company's
bill making the United States Govern
ment endorse 500, 900 of its bonds.
This lobby is made up of members of
both political parties, and all oa them
are either officials or ex-officials of
either the House or Senate, which gives
them unexcelled facilities for reaching
Congressman, facilities that they have
neglected. The bill will pass the Sem
ate without adoubt, but by the time the
House hears from the country it will
probably strike a big snag, although the
lobby hope to rush it through during
the'closing hours.
The administration scheme for kill
ing the free coinage bill is now being
boldly worked by the anti-silver ma
jority of the House committee on
coinage. 1t gives Mr.. Harrison two
chances of killing the bill without
squarely vetoing it, The aim is to keep
the bill in committee under pretense of
"hearings" until within ten days of
the end of the session; then it will be
reported. If the House has time to
vote upon it, and passes it, Mr.. Harri-
son may then quietly dispose of it by
what is known as "pocket" veto, by
not signing it previous to the expira-
ton of the Fifty-first Congress.
The anti-silverites claim that the
vote of the House-134 to 127-sustain-
ing decision of the Speaker declaring
Mr.. Blands motion to attack the free
preparation bill to be out of order,
makes 1t certain that the free coinage
bill cannot pass, but the claim Is not
based upon solid foundation. There
were only eleven republicans who voted
against sustaining the Speaker, and
it is we'll known that there Is much
larger number of republicans in the
House who would vote for free coinage
pure and simple, if they were given a
chance to do so. There was q PROPOSE
tion few days since to have the Sen
ate put the free coinage bill on one of
the appropriation bills as rider, but
when 1t was suggested that the republi-
cans of the House might add as anoth-
er rider on the same bill, the force bill,
the idea lost popularity with the Demo
Gratis. A caucus of the House Demo-
Gratis passed resolution asking that
the committee report the silver bill.
Mr.. Blaine's reciprocity treaty with
Brazil is being worked for all it is worth
to carry the ship subsidy job through
the House, and from present indica-
tions the probabilities are in favor of
its doing it.
The Democrats of the House have
put themselves on record as opposed to
the extravagant salary lists of the
Worlds Fair Commission.
The intelligence of the death of repre-
sentative Phelan of Tennessee, who
died at Nassau on January 80, did not
reaLh this city until Saturday after
noon. 1t was known that his health
was bad, but his closest friends were
greatly shocked to learn of his death.
When the senate got through amend
ing the eight hour bill it would scarcely
have been recognized by hope to kill
the bill by getting it into conference
committee and keeping it there until
the session ends.
Beginning to-day the senate will have
evening sessions daily to the end of the
session. The house may or may n OF
follow suit. The fact of the matter is
that evening sessions have never been
favorably regarded by the friends of
legitimate legislation, although it has
, been customary to have them at the
fag end of every congress. .----A .a-4-.
The pension sharks made no mistake
in counting upon the assistance of the
republican Senators to cut out the re-
duction in fees placed in the pension
appropriation bill by the House. The
Senate made the attorneys fee for all
future increases of pension SIS, instead
of So, as the House had it, and upon
motion of Mr.. Quay the new fee is only
applicable to applications filed after
this bill become law. That motion,
if not interfered with by the House, is
estimated to be worth more than SIS,
OOO, 900 to the pension attorneys.
Mr.. Harrison is still wrestling with
the army of hungry republicans, each
Of whom wants to be Secretary of the
Treasury.