Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-12-10
Washington Letter.
(Fr0m our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, Dec. 4. 1891.

utCiue WHO suhl DO DpCdhCA VI bup
House. Democratic abuse Of democrat
ic candidates and democratic methods
has been constant. loud and deep. If
there are any crimes known to the pro-
fessional political wire puller that have
not been charged to the workers for one
oranother OF the candidates it is because
they have been overlooked Mills
friends. who, to give the devil his due.
appear to represent the better element of
the democratic party, if it can be said
to have better element, have openly
charged that ex Congressman Alexan-
der G. Cochran. Solicitor General of the
Missouri Pacific Railroad, who came
here with the Hatch boomers, was here
as a personal representative of Jay
Gould for the purpose Of working against
| Mills, and that the whole Hatch boom
was being manipulated solely to Injure
Mills.
Everybody is heartily glad that the
democratic caucus tomorrow will settle
/ the whule business, but from the manner
in 7,hieh this preliminary work has been
4 conducted it is fair to assume that the
election of Speaker will be but the be-
ginning ofnew troubles for the democrats.
There will be half dozen claimants for
every craftsmanship of q prominent
committee and the disappointed men
will be to be heard from on the floor
of the House, and when the getting
even process is started the republicans
of the House are not likely TO retard it
any. Besides, the Speaker will have the
impossible task ofsatisfying the various
outside elements that have contributed,
directly or indirectly, to his election.
That the House viii be an unruly body
is certain.
Proofs that the Alliance movement in
the South will not antagonize the DEM
ocratic party are constantly turning up.
The latest is the withdrawal of the Alli-
ance candidate for the vacancy in the
Eighth Virginia Congressional district
caused by the death of the late Repre-
sentative, Lee. This withdrawal was
made after all arrangements had been
made to make an aggressive canvass to
the district, with the assistance of the
Alliance contingent in Congress, and
the only reason therefor is that the re-
publicans of the district have nominated
candidate. Tho Alliance people,
although claiming to have been snubbed
and insulted by the regular democrats,
will swallow their grievances rather
than TO tase any chances of the election
of a republican.
Senator Proctor is preparing to turn
over the affairs of the War Department
to the Assistant Secretary Grant
as he will on Monday take his seat
in the Senate. 1t is expected that his
successor will be nominated by the
President next week, at the same time
that other important nominations are
made.
Ex-senator Edmunds, who has been
here since the opening of the Supreme
Court. concluded not to remain until
Congress opened, so he has gone to
Aiken, South Carolina, TO join his fam
lily. He was asked just before he left
who was his preference for President
next year. The nominee of the re-
publican convention" he replied. IF
he is the worst republican in the count
ry he will be preferable to the best
democrat
The hearing of the arguments by the
Supreme Court in the three cases
brought for the purpose of breaking
down the Mckinley tariff law, which
took place this week, was not calculat-
cd to encourage the gentleman who
has been persuaded to furnish the
money to hire the high priced lawyers.
One of these suits is brought on the
ground that the omission of the tcbac-
co debate clause from the bin as signed
by the President makes the whole bill
void; another that the sugar bounty
clause was unconstitutional and the
other that the reciprocity clause is
unconstitutional. For convenience the
three eases were heard as one, and if
there was any doubt of what the final
decision will be it was almost entirely
dissipated by the tenor of the questions
put by the Justices during the argu-
mentto thelawyers. The Constitution
ality of the law was ably maintained
by Attorney General-Miller and Solic-
itor General Taft.
Secretary Foster has been confined to
his house since his recent trip to New
York, to speak before the Chamber OF
Commerce OF that city, but he was well
enough this week toput the final touch