Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1891-02-19
WASHINGTON T T
From Our Regular Correspondenf.I
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 1891.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 1891.
The president has long ago adopted the
plan of President Lincoln OF not crossing a
bridge until lac comes to it, and no man
has ever been authorized by him to say
that he would either sign or veto the free
coinage bill, should that mea sure get through
the house. 1t hasn't got through the house.
and at the present time the chances seem
rather against it's doing SO. The bridge
which the president is now preparing to
cross is the choosing Of a suitable man to
fill the place left vacant by the sudden
death OF Secretary Window, and il was to
enable him to cress in safety that he asked
congress to extend the time for making the
selection, which had heretofore been linn
tied to ten days; and congress has sensibly
adopted his suggestion, as it might profit
ably rave lone in other instances, and
passed a bill extending the time for filling
the vacancy to thirty days.
Mr.. Harrison is going about this difficult
and important task with his usual caution
and elaboration. He has no favorits for
the position and is determined to secure
the best man that can possibly he obtained,
and in order to ascertain who that man is
he has invited the advice Of prominent Re-
eublicans in and out OF congress. When
they have all had an opportunity to pre-
sent the claims Of those they think best fit
ted to perform the arduous duties of secre-
tary of the treasury. Mr.. Harrison will
carefully weigh the merits Of the gentlemen
suggested and make his selection. And ]
run no risk in predicting that he will make
no mistake.
The more testimony that is taken by the
house COMMITTEES engaged in the investiga-
ton OF the alleged congressional silver pool
or pools the stronger grows the belief that
there was no pool or combine to influence
legislation, and that those senators and
representatives that engaged in specializing
in silver, only tw~o-Senator Cameron and
Representative Abner Taylor, OF Illinois,
have admitted being engaged in such specu-
lation-did SO on their own judgment. This
week J. A. Owenby, the man who origin
ated the charge. was a witness before the
committee, and his testimony proved alb
solutely nothing one way or the other. He
seemed to be only an impecunious adven-
turer who was himself trying to speculate
without capital, and as soon as he WAS dis
charged from the custody of the deputy
~sergeant-at arms Of the house, who had
brought him from Chicago. he was arrested
upon "a criminal charge Of having obtained
SIT under false pretenses by means of a
worthless check. A nice sort of a fellow to
attempt to blacksu the character OF con
gressmen-
Both house and senate have in the main
been quietly jogging along ON the regular
appropriation bill this week, although the
silver question was the cause of some per-
~sonalitiss On the floor OF the senateb between
Mr.. Dawes of Massachusetts and Mr.. Cock
erell of Missouri, and also in the committee
room OF the house committee On coinage
between Mr.. Bland OF Missouri and Mr..
Walker OF Massachusetts,, both members OF
that COMMITTEES. The cause was practi-
cally the same in both instances-tho op
position to free ceinage-wbich is making
itsslf felt here. Mr.. Cockerell charged that
the opposition was being Manufactured by
kilograms sent from here, and hat Mr..
Edward Atkinson was engaged in working
it up. Mr.. Dawes defended Mr.. Atkinson,
"hOr - - VIC VI ms
csnstitusnts, and for a few minutes it
looked az il there would be blows passed
between the two senators. In the house
committee room Mr.. Bland charged Mr..
Walker with trying to smother the bill in
committee, and that gentleman warmly de-
Tended himself and said that his only OBJ
ject was to obtain the views OF competent
~financiers before reporting the bill, and for
that reason he favored granting hearings to
all responsible business organizations that
wished to be heard. The COMMITTEES voted
with Mr.. Walker, bat Mr.. Bland said the
matter would be appealed to the house.
There is a rood deal OF bad blood on this
question, and the attempt will be made to
pass n resolution ~discharging the commit
tee from further consideration Of the bill.