Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1891-02-14
WASHINGTON.


w. w. Dudley, of "blocks of FIVE"
notoriety, and ex-Assistant Postmas,
ter General Clarksom, both shining
lights in the republican national
committee, are, if my informant isn't
mistaken, and he assures me that he
isn't, now handling "blocks of five,"
hundred dollar bills, as the disburs-
ing officials of Jay Gould's Western
Union Telegraph lobby, which is
said to have divided $4,000 among
certain members of the Heuse for the
purpose of defeating Mr.. Wanama-
ker's postal telegraph bill. The bill
has really never had much chance of
getting through, because Of lack Of
general interest in 1t, but Dudley and
Clarkson made Gould believe that it
was certain to go through unless
something was promptly done to
prevent it, and the particular "some-
thing" in this case was the paying
out of big pile Of the "little wiz.
ards' money.
Another scheme backed by a big
lobby is the Nicarauga Canal COM
pany's bill making the United States
Government endorse $l00,OO0,0O of
its bonds. This lobby is made up of
members of both political parties,
and all of them are either officials or
ex-officials of either the House or
Senate, which gives them unexcelled
facilities for reaching Congressman,
facilities that they have not neglec-
ted. The bill will pass the Senate
without doubt, but by the time the
House hears from the country it will
probably strike big snag, although
the lobby hopes to rush it through
during the closing hours.
The administration scheme for
killing the free coinage bill is now
being boldly worked by the anti
silver majority of the House COM
mittee on coinage. 1t gives Mr..
Harrison two chances of killing the
bill without squarely vetoing it..
The aim is to keep the bill in COM
mittee under pretense OF "hearings"
until within ten days Of the session /;
then it will be reported. If the
House has time to vote upon it, and
passes it Mr.. Harrison may then
quietly dispose Of it by what is
known as "pocket" veto, by not
signing it previous to the expiration
of the Fifty-first Congress.
The anti.silverites claim that the
vote of the House-134 to 127-sus-
tanning decision of the Speaker de-
claring Mr.. BANDS motion to attach
the free coinage bill as an amend
! ment to an appropriation bill to be
out of order, makes it certain that
the free coinage bill cannot pass
! but the claim is not based upon 6
. solid foundation. There were only
, eleven republicans who voted against
( sustaining the Speaker, and it is wei
known that there is much larger
, number of republicans in the House
who would vote for free coinage pure
and simple, if they were given q
( chance to do 50. There was a prop
| osition few days since to have thu
e Senate put the free coinage bill or
h one of the appropriation bills as 8
/ rider, but when it was suggested tina
I the republicans of the House nigh
a add as another rider on the same bill
1 the force bill, the idea lost populari
a ty with the democrats. A caucus o
n the House democrats passed a reso
). luton asking that the committe,
@ report the silver bill.
e Mr.. Blaine's reciprocity treat!
n with Brazil is being worked for all i
d is worth to carry the ship subsid!
d job through the House, and from
IS present indications the probabilitie
o are in favor of its doing it.
,. The democrats of the House hav
q put themselves on record as Opposes
# to the extravagant salary list of tn
Worlds Fair Commission.
The intelligence of the death Q
Representative Phelan of Tennessee
who died at Nassau on January &c
did not reach this city until last SAT
urday afternoon. 1t was known tha
!. his health was bad, but his closes
ee friends were greatly shocked to lear
20 of his death.
9 When the Senate got throug
eft amending the eight hour bill
Is would scarcely have been recognize
m by its best friends. 1t is believe
at that the republicans hope to kill tn
es bill by getting it into conferenC
~ committee and keeping it there ur