Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-02-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
TFrOm our regular cOrrssposaspt.I

aud unlimited independent coinage Of
silver did not create the excitement In
Congress that the sensational newspa-
pers have said II did. In the first place
the views expressed by Mr. Cleveland
are precisely those held by him and
publicly expressed just before his In
auguration as President In 1885, 80 that
q reiteration Of them was no surprise to
those acquainted with the man. or
course there are differences Of opinion
among Democrats in Congress as the
wisdom of having taken this time to
reiterate them, but Mr.. Cleveland's
friends point 10 the fact that he did not
do 30 until asked 10 take part In the
auti-silver meeting IN New York. They
say that II he had not given his opin-
ion in answer to that invitation he
would have been open to the charge Of
cowardice, and everybody knows that
there is nothing approaching coward
ice in Grover Cleveland's make up.
Many eminent Democratic Senators
and Representatives In their disap-
pointment at seeing the last hope Of
the passage Of the free coinage bill by
the House at this session vanish, as IL
did with the publication Of Nr. Cleve-
lands letter, said, upon the spur of the
moment, things which upon cool Sec
ond thoughts they will probably re-
gret. Mr.. Cleveland may or may not
be the nominee of the Democratic par
| ty next year, but 1t does not appear
probable to an unprejudiced mind that
his expressing a personal opinion, which
he was well known to hold, eighteen
months before the meeting Of the ma
tional convention of the party would
absolutely eliminate him from the
Presidential field, "Successful politics"
said democratic Senator today, "are
always practical, and II when the con-
vention meets, its members shall be of
the opinion that Mr.. Cleveland Is the
strongest man, he will receive the
nomination, otherwise he will not;
and the rank and file Of the party, who
want the man nominated that can win
not any particular man, will ratify
the choice of the convention, whoever
he may be. A year and a half Is
good while. Let us all keep cool and
meet the issues when they confront
us. Nothing is to be gained; but much
can be lost by being precipitate.
Washington, where both men had
many warm friends, was greatly
shocked by the deaths of Admiral Por-
ter, one on Friday and the other on
Saturday, and many kind and loving
regrets have been expressed by all
classes. By order of Mr.. Harrison all
of the departments will be closed to-
morrow,-the day of Admiral Por-
ter's funeral, and it is expected that
Congress will adjourn as mark of re-
spect. He will be buried with military
honors at Arlington cemetery in spot
selected by himself not along ago.
With the death of these two men the
last of the great Union commanders of
the civil war have passed away, and
with both of them dies the highest
rank in their respective branches of the
service-Admiral of the navy, and
General of the army.
The enemies of civil service reform,
as she is run by the present Commits
soner, came very near succeeding in
flank movement in the House, the OBJ
ject of which was to cut Off the sup
plies of the commission by reducing the
appropriation for the hire of clerks.
The movement failed. but it resulted
In some plain talk about the manner in
which the commission works that
could not have been pleasing to the
commissioners.
There are certain indications of the
near approach of the junketing season
coming in sight. Mr.. Harrison Is pre-
pairing to make thirty day tour of the
Pacific coast in the private car of the
would-be Presidential candidate of the
Farmers Alliance, Senator Stanford,
and the Senate, has by resolution au-
thorized two committeeg-Naval affairs
and Canadian Relations-to travel
around at Government expense next
summer. Senator Plumb stirred up the
bile of some of the members of the lat
ter committee by saying that he met
the committee in California last fall
and felt inclined to present it with a
map so that it could find out where
Canada was.
The Interior department was closed
at noon today in respect to the memory
of ex.Secretary A. Fl. Ell. Stuart whose
funeral took place at Staunton, Va.
Mr.. Harrison has not yet demanded
the resignation of Pension Commits
sioner Raum, Notwithstanding his un-
fitness for the office, which was fully
proven, in spite of the efforts of the re-
publicans on the committee to shield
him, by the late investigation.
The Senate has succeeded in tangling
up the copyright bill SO badly that it
will not get Strengthened out at this
session.
Senator Voorhees,, who has been quite
i'll is slowly getting better. Senator
Hearsts condition remains unchanged.
No one appears now to anticipate an
extra session of Congress this spring,
although of course 1t is possible. There
is rumor that the republicans of the
Senate are going to try to push the
Force bill through during the closing
hours of the session, but don't think
there is anything in it.