Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-03-06
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Irregular Correspondence of the Standard.)
WASHINGTON ID C Fob % 1901

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. 20, 1891.
Quite political sensation has
followed the announcement of Senator
German, whose political astuteness
cannot be gainsaid, that he was not
and would not under any combination
OF circumstances be candidate before
the Democratic national convention
next year, and that he favored the
nomination of ex-President Cleveland
as the strongest and most available
man, and proposed to do all in his
power to get him nominated. 1t is
yet too early to see what effect this an
nouncement will have upon those
Democratic Senators and Representa-
tives who have expressed the opinion
that Mr.. Cleveland's letter against the
free coinage of silver has destroyed his
availability as candidate, and what
adds to the interest of the situation is
the fact that some of these gentlemen
have been, since the publication OF Mr..
Cleveland's letter, strongly in favor of
nominating Senator German.
1t seems strange that three Demo-
cratic Senators should have cast their
votes for such palpable "job" as that
contained in the Senate amendment to
the diplomatic appropriation bill.
which gives a subsidy of $3,O00,O00 to
the company, which as yet only exists
on paper, that proposes to lay cable
between San Francisco and the Sand
wich Islands, but they did. 1t is not
believed that the House will concur in
the amendment; at any rate no Demo
crat should vote to do thing so for
eign to all the principles of the Demo-
cratic party.
Senator Quay's much advertised
speech of vindication fell as fiat in the
Senate as one of Senator Blair's educa-
tional harrangues, and he has gone to
Florida to seek consolation in fishing.
The general deficiency bill is thi,
year $36,OOO,O00. Is it strange that
the surplus has disappearedf
The international copyright bill has
been lassed by the Senate with several
amendments, which makes its becom-
ing a law at this session very doubtful.
Mr.. Harrison and all of his cabinet,
except Secretary Proctor, went to New
York to attend Gen. Sherman's funeral
They returned to Washington last
night.
The Republicans in the House are so
much alarmed lest the wicked Demo
Gratis should interfere with their plans
during the closing rush of the session
that telegraphic appeals have been sent
to all absent Republicans begging them
to come here and remain until the end
OF the session. What they are spe-
cially wanted for is to pass the subsidy
shipping bill, which is opposed by
nearly all of the Democrats.
Representative-elect Jerry Simpson,
and several OF his Farmers Alliance to
be colleagues in the next House, are in
town. They are the recipients of a
great deal OF attention at the capitol.
The House committee on Coinage
to-day reported the free coinage bill to
the House, but the general belief seems
to be that its friends will not succeed
in getting it before the House, but they
intend to try very hard to do so.
Senator Plumb despairing of getting
his joint resolution providing for the
violation of existing law by the transfer
of the employees of the Census bureau
to the classified departmental service
without the formality of civil service
examination, has offered it as an
amendment to the sundry civil appro-
priation bill.
1t is commented upon rather un-
favorably that Congress did not adjourn
the day of Admiral Porter's funeral.
Probably the most dissgreeable legis-
lative duty ever performed by Senator
Ingalls, was the presentation by him
this week of the credentials of John A.
Peiffer, Senator-elect from the State of
Kansas for the term beginning March
4, next.
Notwithstanding the almost daily
reiteration of the charge that some
where in the neighborhood of one
fourth of the enormous amount of
money paid out by the Pension bureau
is paid on fraudulent claims, no Repub-
lican in or out of Congress has pro-
posed an investigation for the purpose
OF purging the rolls of such names as
may be shown to be there fraudulent
ly. This, as we'll as other things, will
be thoroughly looked into by the next
House.
Representative Payson, of Illinois,
was elected Speaker pro tenn of the
House, this week, during the sickness
of Speaker Reed.
The Republicans are beginning to be
frightened at the prospect of losing
control of the Senate. 1t is now re-
garded as certain that the Mckinley
tariff law will be repealed outright OF
greatly modified in 1893, if not mex,
year. Dem.
DURING the snowstorm lately {
very unusual occurrence, for the Stat,
OF Washington, at least, took place
says the Whatcom Reveille. Severa
sharp flashes were seen and fOllowe'
Immediately by terrific peals OF thun
der, reminding one of Dakota or 1
Kansas thunder storm. Lightning ant
thunder are seldom seen or hearC
| hare on Pnpet Sound even in tn