The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-02-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.l

| WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 6, 1891.
The President has long ago adopted
the plan OF President Lincoln of not
crossing bridge until he comes to it,
and no man has even been authorized
by him to say that he would either sign
or veto the free coinage bill, should that
measure get through the. House. It
hasn't got through the House, and at
the present time the chances seem
rather against its doing 80. The bridge
which the President is now preparing to
cross is the choosing of suitable man
to fill the place left vacant by the sud-
den death of Secretary Window, and it
was to enable him to cross in safety that
he asked Congress to extend the time
for making the selection, which had
heretofore been limited to ten days;
and Congress has sensibly adopted his
suggestion, as it might proftably have
done in other instances, and passed
bill extending the time for filling the
vacancy to thirty days.
Mr.. Harrison is going about this diff.
cult and important task with his usual
caution and deliberation; he has no
favorite for the position, and is deter
mined to secure the best man that can
possibly be obtained, and in order to
ascertain who that man is he has in
vited the advice Of prominent Republi-
cans in and ont Congress. When they
have all had an opportunity to present
the claims Of those they think best
fitted to perform the arduous duties of
Secretary of the Treasury. Mr.. Harrison
will carefully weigh the merits of the
| gentlemen suggested and make his
selection. And run no risk in predict
ing that he will make no mistake.
The Republican Senators held caucus
Thursday night to determine the order
OF business for the remainder of the
session, and it is understood that the
question of whether the Federal Election
bill should again be taken up was also
discussed but that no definite conclusion
was reached.
The more testimony that is taken by
the House committe engaged in the in
vestigation of the alleged congressional
silver pool or pools the stronger grows
the belief that there was no pool or COM
bine to influence legislation, and that
those Senators and Representatives that
engaged in speculating in silver-only
twe, Senator Cameron and Representa-
tive Abner Taylor, Of Illinois, have ad.
mitted being engaged in such specula.
tiop-did So. on their own judgment.
This.week J.W. Owenby, the man who
originated the charge, was q witness
! before the committee, and his testimony
proved; absolutely nothing one way or
! the sother- He seemed to be only an
impecuneous adventurer who was him.
self trying to speculate without capital,
and as soon az he was discharged from
the custody of the deputy Sergeantat.
Arms of the House who had brough,
him from Chicago, he was arrested upon
a criminal charge of having obtained ST.
I under false pretense by means of 6
D worthless check. A nice sort OF fellow
to attempt to blacken the character o
: Congressman
Both House and Senate have in thu
mainibeen quietly jogging along on th'
regular appropriation bill this week
although the silver question was th'
cause of some, personalities on the foo
OF the Senate between Mr.. Dawes, o
O Massachusetts,, and Mr.. Cockerell, o
!, Missouri, and also in the COMMITTEES
). room Of the House committee on coin
!. age, between Mr.. Bland, of Missouri
' and Mr.. Walker. of Massachusetts,, boil
0 members of that committee. The caus.
n was practically the same in both in
q stances-the opposition to free coinage
O which is making itself felt here. Mr.
q Cockerell charged that the opposition
b was being manufactured by telegram
!. sent from here, and that Mr.. Edwart
}. Atkinson was engaged in working it up
d Mr.. Dawes defended Mr.. Atkinson, who
although Democrat, is one of his con
stituents, and for a few minutes it looked
as if there would be blows passed be
. tween the two Senators. In the Hous'
committee room Mr.. Bland charged Mr.
Walker with trying to smother the bill
in committee, >.and that gentleman
warmly defended himself and said tina
his only object was to obtain the view
of competent fnanciers before leportinl
y the bill, and for that reason he favore'
granting hearings to all responsible
business organizations that wished to b
heard. The committee voted with MI
!. Walker, but Mr.. Bland said the matte
{, would be appealed to the House. Their
a. is a good deal of bad blood on thi
of question, and the attempt will be mad