Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-01-29
from our regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.

Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Jan. 10. 1891.
The present situation in both Senate and
House may in a nutshell, be stunned up
thus:
?
Everybody is asking everybody else
questions without number and the answers
the speaker. The republicans in the SEN
ate are again apparently working together
in the attempt to force vote upon the
Federal Election bill, as party measure,
by firing the democrats out in a contin-
uous session. The session has now lasted
day and night since Friday morning. with
the exception of Sunday recess. and the
question of whether the bill will ever be
voted on seems as far from being answer
ed az ever. One thing favorable to the
final passage of the bill is the fact that the
republicans who voted with the democrats
for free coinage are now voting with their
party on questions affecting the election
bill. The democrats say the bill can new
er be passed unless the closure rule is
adopted, and there are still a number of
republican Senators who will not agree to
go to that extreme. In the meantime the
fight goes on, and all absent republicans
have received urgent kilograms requesting
their immediate presence here.
But after all the subject about which
the most questions are asked is the free
coinage bill. which was adopted by the
Senate as substitute for the republican
caucus tinancisl bill. 1t has been referred
ms jpIity Of hich is known To oppose free
coinage. Will this committee make an
adverse report upon the bill. or Will it be
pigeon holed and no report made at all:
From the best obtanable information |
believe the committee will report the bill,
because its members know that il it is not
reported motion will be made on the
iioor vi the House to discharge the COM
mittee from its further consideration, and
the success which attended similar move
in regard to the Investigation ot the Con
gressional silver pools, proves how easy
1t can be done when a majority of the
House so wills it. But after it is report
ed to the House, will Speaker Reel allow
it to he voted upon? That is very i'm
portant question, second only in import
ance to that of a Presidential veto. Mr..
Reed is personally opposed to free coinage,
and believe will do all in his power to
defeat 1t by preventing in one way or
another a vote being taken upon it, al
though it is only fair to state that some of
his closest friends say that he will not re-
sort to any extraordinary methods to de-
feat the bill.
1t is now stated by those who ought to
know, that Mr.. Harrison Will veto the free
coinage bill If it goes to him as it passed
the Senate, but that he has expressed his
to sign bill providing for
free coinage lnder certain restrictions. just
what these restrictions are no one seems
to know, which gives the first statement a
ii-hy look.
|, looks as if some biz fish might be
caught 10 the drag net of the House com
mittee that is investigating the silver pool
charges The committee was informed at
it first meeting, held Saturday, that Sen
ator Stewart had stated that lie lad per
sonal knowledge of Senators speculating
in silver; it was also Informed that an
official of the House had stated that he
knew of Congressman who would get into
trouble if the investigation was pushed.
These two gentlemen and others whose
names have been furnished the committee.
will be invited to tell what they know
about silver pools and if they tell there's
squally times ahead for some people
By the death Of the historian, George
Bancroft. which occurred here Saturday
afternoon, America loses one Of her most
sons He was in hi ninety
first year.
Mr.. Wanamaker's postal telegraph
scheme is not making much progress in
the House committee on post-ottices. 1t
barely escaped being permanently pigeon
holed day or two ago, the vote on mo-
ton to indefinitely postpone its considera-
ton being to I. In fact this vote IS taken
TO mean its practical abandonment which
after all would he no loss to the people at
large.
The democrats in the House have adopt
ed policy of delay, which will be kept up
until the Senate disposes of the election
bill. They wish to be in position to an
tagonize the election bill, if 1t should
pass the Senate, when it returns to the
House for action on the Senate amend
ments, with the regular appropriation bills,
aud they will succeed if the republicans
fail in the efforts they are now making 10
get quorum of their own members in the
House.
Senator Teller has again denied that any
was made by him and the
other republicans that voted for free coin
age with the democrats to secure the pas
sage of that bill