The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1891-12-31
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Weekly Budget from the
Capital City
Senator. Plumb
Washington, D. c. Dec. "a, 1891.

standing committees of the house
was the principal event of the week,
and indeed of the year, with the
exception of the election of the
Speaker. The work. of organizing
the House has proven a very arduous
one for Mr.. Crisp, so much so that
he is confined to his room and pros
trated by the great strain on his
nervous system. The peculiar make
up of the Houseand the unprecedented
number of new members, aIded
greatly to the burden imposed upon
the Speaker. 1t is the general
opinion that lie has done his great
work with admirable judgement, not.
withstanding the disappointments
that necessarily dampen the spirits
of those not blessed with chairman
ships or other fat places. From a
sectional point of view the north
certainly has no reason to complain
of the dispositions of southern
Speaker. That section has twenty
five chairmanships, including nearly
all of the important committees,
while the South has thirty one,
mostly of minor Importance NJ.
Crisp is evidently determined that the
opposition will have no chance to cry
out in the next campaign that the ex
rebels dominated in the work of the
House. Mr.. Mills is at the head Of
the Interstate and Foreign Commerce
Committee, a position in which he
can make himself extremely useful.
He naturally felt that he was entitled
to the craftsmanship Of the ways and
means Committee, and in this OPP
inion he was seconded by perhaps
the great majority of his party, but
it was not in accord with the policy
of the Speaker, 50 he was assigned
to the position which was probably
his second choice. 1t was certainly
a ruthless brushing aside of preceden
to place Mr.. Springer at the head o
the Committee on ways and means
on which he had never served. Th
frec-silver people are jubilant owe
the naming of Mr., Bland, the origina
free-silver man, for the chairmanshil
of the coinage committee. After tn
announcement of the committees tn
House adjourned to the 9Th of Jan
uary.
) No death in recent times has cause
such deep regret in the district o
Columbia as that of Senator Plumb
: He was a true friend of the district
and many of the measures for whic'
the DISTINGUISHED inhabitants of tn
t districts thank Congress, are tn
= hand-work of the dead Kansa
statesman. His plain Americanism
endeared him to the hearts of a
with whom he came in contact, an
his perfect frankness and candor wo
= him many friends. No matter VIII
comes in his place, the people {
Washington will long bemoan hi
sudden taking Off, and will have
green spot in their memory for hin
Few people outside of this cit
have any idea of the important beal
ing which the social matters of Wasl
Il ington have on the politics Of IL
country how presidents are made an
unmade, and party dynasties raise
= and demolished by the queens of IL
drawing-room. The unpopularity {
Mrs. Blaine is as universal as the POI
ularity of her husband, and it
:, perhaps quite safe to say, that hs
she been more amiable she wou
have been first lady of the land al
her distinguished husband presidel
many years ago. 1t is true NJ
= Cleveland W. $ elected president VIII
bachelor, and defeated wh'
sustained by the most popular fir
, lady of modern times, but it is easi
seen that it was not because of he
Z but in spite of her helpful infucn
II that he failed of reelection. T
- popularity of Mrs Cleveland is perha
:. without a parallel in the history
the country not few among the ladi
of Washington who are not necessari
el called to the White House, reira
y from attending tho receptions of LAT
III preferling to retain the impression
the place as it was under the encha1