Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-01-16
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Irregular Correspondence Of the Standard)

WASHINGTON, d. c., JAM, 1891.
Senator Hoar enjoyed his View Year
day dinner less even than his Christ
mas dinner, if it were possible. Sena
tor Stewart spoiled his Christmas din
ner by his speech against the Fore
bill, and his appetite for his Dime
yesterday was killed by a grand tripl'
attack upon his pet schemef for gettin,
even with the South by Senators VOL
colt, Teller and Hale. The first namet
Senator fired broadside after broadsid,
into the Force bill, of'unanswerable ar
gument; the groundwork of his logic
being opposition to enacting law fol
the purpose of placing an acknowledged
ignorant and incompetent majority
over an intelligent minority. He stat
ed plainly that if there were majority
of ignorant negro voters in the State
of Colorado, solidly opposed to the
united intelligent white votes, that in
some way and by some method the
white vote would govern. That he is
broad-gauge man the following words
from his speech fully demonstrate
" For a quarter of century, out from
poverty and despair, the South has
been reaching forth in efforts to plant
its foot on the solid rock of material
prosperity; and in view of the marvel.
lous growth and transformation now
taking place in the Southern States, !
believe it would be unwise and unpat.
riotic for us to interfere in the conduct
OF its internal affairs"
Senator Teller's speech was a ring.
ing demand for the shelving of the
Force bill and the enactment of the
financial legislation demanded by the
people of the country, which he de-
scribed as being on the very verge of a
financial panic.
Senator Hale's remarks, which prob
ably hurt the would-be-leader from
Massachusetts more than all the rest
was an attack upon Mr.. Hoar charging
him with being responsible for the
months time which has been wasted
in consideration of the Force bill, and
demanding the speedy disposal of that
measure in order that other and more
necessary legislation might have a
chance. Mr.. Hale also took occasion
to give the cloture, or gag rule, now
pending, which he says is altogether
needless, a few hard raps Take them
all in all, they were three of the most
emarkable speeches ever ma lie in Con-
rgress outside of a secret caucus agains
party measure by members of the
same party.
And yet. there is well grounded
fear on the part of Democratic Sena-
tors that by the vigorous uJe of the
party whip and the administration
patronage, the bill may be passed, if it
ever reaches a vote, which it will not
do if the Democrats can by any means
prevent it. In order to defeat it upon
vote, assuming that every Senator
will be in his seat or paired, it is neces.
sary that eight Republicans should
vote against it, and only three have
yet openly announced their intention
of so voting, although there are a
dozen or more who have privately ex-
pressed themselves as being opposed
to it.
One thing is evident, it will have to
be passed or laid aside within the next
ten days; other legislation, particularly
financial, is crowding it, and Senator
Hoar is reported to have said to-day
that if it was not passed next week it
would never pass. The administration
has all the detectives of the Postoffice
department working on the recent kill
ing of tho postmaster at Carrollton,
Mississippi, in order to try to make
capital to help push the bill through,
notwithstanding letters in the posses.
sion of Senator George from the lead
ing citizens of the town, including its
most influential minister, stating that
politics had nothing whatever to do
with the killing.
Treasury department officials are
now preparing the annual deficiency
bill. 1t will be the largest in the his
tory of the country, aggregating about
SIS. 600, 600, nearly half of which is for
pensions. These deficiencies were de-
liberately made by the Republicans in
Congress at the last session for the
purpose of binding the voters Of the
country to the amount of money that
was being spent by that party.
Senator Hearst is somewhat better
than he has been for several weeks,
though still very sick man.
The Civil Service Commission has
jumped on Mr.. Wanamaker to the ex-
tent of several newspaper columns, be-
cause of his criticism of its methods
in his annual report. This is regarded
by many as an attack upon Mr.. Har-
rison, who approved the report of the
Postmaster General, or it would not
have been made public, and some peo-
pie think that there may be vacancies
in the commission before long. The
country could get along if the whole
business was abolished.
Democrats are by no means anxious
for an extra session of Congress, but if,
as now looks almost certain, one be
made necessary by the failure OF the
Republicans to pass the regular appro-
priation bills, they will not complain.
They are ready to do their duty, but
they wish the responsibility for an ex-
ira session to be placed where it right
fully belongs-on the Republicans.
Dem.
THOMAS Henderson Boyd, of Taco
ma, has received notice OF his appoint