Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-01-15
| From our regular Correspondent
Washington Letter.

WASHINGTON, ID. C., Jan. 3, 1891.
| Republican Senators are looking and ev-
| identity feeling much more confident of be-
| ing master of the situation to-day than at
any time during the present session. 1t
now seems to be only a question of get
| ting and keeping every republican Senator
in his seat until the victory is won. Ur-
gent kilograms have been sent to all of
the absentees to return at once and take
part in the big fight which will be opened as
soon as there is a republican quorum pres
ent. The republican Senators held a con-
| ference this morning, which was largely
attended and at which they got nearer to-
gether in their ideas of what ought to be
done than they have been able to do at any
of the previous conferences. That means
business and the democrats know it and
are correspondingly depressed
Senator Aldrich will not call up his cles-
urc rule until the effort has been made to
force vote on the election bill by holding
a continuous session of the Senate. The
democratic Senators will not attend if
quorum, but if there is a quorum of re-
publicans the democrats will all attend
and resort to filibustering in order to pre-
vent vote being taken. So, with quo
rum Of republicans present, and there is
little doubt of there being one, the whole
matter will resolve itself into question
of endurance, and it W II not be surprising
should the record for the longest continu-
Gus session Of the Senate-72 hours-be
exceeded during the present week,
1t j. not certain that the republicans
can succeed in wearing the democrats out,
but it was thought best. in Difference to
the wishes of a small number of Senators,
to try this method before adopting the
closure rule in order to demonstrate to the
country the necessity for such Il rule to en-
lhlc the Senate To transact the business
for m.i,h it has assembled
All the democratic hurrah about republi-
can opp )sition to the election bill is found
ed upon exactly four votes, that being the
number of republican Senators who will
refuse to vote for the bill and it is not
probable that more than three of them will
carry their opposition to the extent Of
voting against the bill, and there is pos
sibiity that neither of the four Will vote
against the bill but will merely refuse to
vote for il, and it is almost certain that
neither of these gentlemen will aid the
democrats in breaking a quorum by alb
scuting themselves
The President il understood to have
written 4 message to accompany the cor
rc>pondcnCe between Secretary Blaine and
the British Foreign Ofiicc on the Behrng
Sea dispute. but have excellent reasons
for believing that the message and cores
pondence will not be transmitted to Con
gre>s until after the election bill is dispos-
ell Of
The reduction Of the public debt in De
ccmbcr was Slightly in excess of Sll ,00O-
600 which means just that much money
put in active circulation in addition to the
ordinary expenditures of the Govern
ment
The idea Of fractional paper currency
has again been brought to the front by
Representative Kelley, Of Kansas, who has
introduced bill in the House directing
the Secretary of the Treasury to print
$50 900 900 of it in bills of ), 10, - and 80
cents, the same to be legal tender for all
debts for any sum not exceeding ten dol
lars
Associate Justice Brown, tnc new mem
Der of the United States Supreme Court,
took his seat to day in the presence of
distinguished audience, comprising most
of the legal talent of the House and Sen
ate, besides large number of the Coun
try'> most eminent lawyers He presented
most striking appearance with his strong
cleanly- shaved face and we'll shaped head
which made him look to be every inch a
judge and the peer Of his colleagues who
form what has been called ''the greatest
judicial body IN the world"
The friends of the shipping bill VIII en-
deayor to keep that measure before the
House this week until it Is disposed Of
but 1t is not certain that they can succeed
as Mr. Cannon and strong following
will insist upon dispo>ing Of some of the
appropriation bills The House NAV find
its business blocked at any time owing TO
its not having quorum of republicans
present, although the republican leaders
are confident that they can get a norum
of republicans here at any time thai / be-
comes necessary.
The democrats are trying to bluff the
republicans by claiming that they have no
objections to an extra session of Con-
gress, when the truth is that it is the one
outcome of the present session that they
fear most, and this fear will probably
prove powerful factor in restraining the
natural obstructive tendencies of that par
ty.