San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
WAsHINGToN, ID. c., Jan. u, 1891


Special to the LIGHT.l
The president is, to the ordinary
observer, apparently spending his
time about as usual, but he isn't by
long shot; he is working hard day
and night to keep the ship which
bears the administration and the re-
publican party In the middle of the
safe financial channel, and he ia being
aided by Senators sherman, Allison
and others in both house and senate,
who have for years been identified
with the financial policy of the re-
publican party, which has given the
United States a period Of prosperity
never equsled by any nation at any
time.
The unanimous agreement TO vote
upon the aDti-con traction financial
bill in the senate on Wednesday OF
this week is one of the results Of
those CO ifeT ence; 1t was believed that
il would be injudiclous, not to say
positively dangerous to have q pro-
tracted financial debate in the Senate
at this time, just as the public is re-
gaining confidence and the money
market Is beginning to show heslthier
signs than for some months past.
endeavored, by means of personps
interviews, to ascertai In what shaal,
the financial bill will 60 through the
senate--it will certainly go through
In some shape, but owing to the dis
position on the part of many senators
to be non committal regarding some
OF the proposed amendments, the
definite information gained was not
Nhn n,I e.
their claims, and it certainly looks as
ii they were we'll grounded so far as
the adoption of tree coinage amend
ment 10 concerned, although those
senators opposed to going to the extent
Of free coinage at the present time are
positive in their confidence that it
will not become law even If adopted
by the senate. This confidence 10
based upon several things First, is
the great influence of the conservative
men of the country, who will be
aroused by the adoption of q free coin
age amendment to the financial bill
by the senate; these men will protest.
against such an amendment not be-
causethey are opposed TO sIl-
yer, but because they fear the
effect upon the country of such
q radical step at this time, and
that their protests will have great
weight in the house cannot for 4
moment be doubted; next comes the
opposition of Speaker Reed and some
OF the most prominent republican re-
representatives., and last, but by no
means least, is the opposition OF the
president; this opposition has been SO
far confined to moral suasion-the
president has made no threat of veto
ing the measure, as has been report
ed, and don't believe he has ever
even considered it. 1t is principally
because he thinks q free coinage
amendment will result In killing tho
other features of the bill, which he
believes will be of more general bene.
fit, that he is opposed to IL.
Twenty-three democratic members
of the Idaho legislature, who voted
against Senator elect Dubois, have
sent protest to the Senate against
allowing him to take his seat, the
ground being alleged illegality In his
election There is no probability of
any atten ton being paid to the pro-
test, as the abest constitutional
lawyers in the Senate have already
to be legal.
Whether the election bill will
again be taken up Is an undecided
question with the republican SeDs-
tors, and / think its decision will de-
pend largely upon the tone of the re-
publican newspapers had been un.
animous, or even nearly so, ia favor
OF this bill il would long ago have be-
come law.
The shipping bill still hangs fire in
the house and its friends are not as
confident of it's passage as they were
o week ago. The trouble arises from
the opposition Oh the republican side,
which mum Ders from twenty to thirty.
The condition Of the United States
treasury Is an unfail.ng barometer of
the money market. and the daily in
crease in the surplus shows that con-
fidenoe is rapidly returning and that
money Is again travelling in its usual
channels. The surplus now amounts
to more than SIS 0OO, 900, In spite Of
the large purchases of silver and
bonds which Secretary Window 10
constantly making In order to put the
money back INTO active circulation,
and 1t will not be surprising If pro-
posals for the purchase OF per cent
bonds-only IL per cent bonds are
DOW purchased-are shortly issued
by the treasury department..
The Senate committee on Foreign
Relations has reported in favor OF the
United States guaranteeing 800, 000,-
600 OF bonds 10 be issued TO complete
the Nicaragua canal. The commit
tee says In it's report that this would
be the most economical method of
protecting the interests OF the people
Of this country I'm the canal.
REPRESENTATIVE Anderson of Kanans