Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-02-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular correspond, nee Of The ~tanc"r'i.l


Senators held last night. In
rider To- gle the Senators VIII" had
.otcd against the old ill an "rportun-
tx Of returning To the ranks new bill
yas prc,cntcd To tn caucus. shorter
md without some 81 the objectionable
features ui the Lodge bill. stores dill
Ter rs To- the conclusion arrived at.
some -av that il was decided to pass
the new till in a lew days, and others
that no definite conclusion was reached.
one Republican senator, who voted
with the Democrats to lay aside the
gag rule resolution. j. reported Ia have
said that il it would hc any satisfaction
to the radical members of ms party he
would vote for the new hill, hCCau>c Ii"
was satisfied that there WAS not enough
time remaining to got it through the
House.
The Republicans seem to he getting
the worst Oh the silver pool lnvcstlga-
ton, in spite Of the evident intention
Of the committee to find out As little
as possible. No Democratic member
of either branch Of Congress has been
implicated, while two prominent Re
publicanS-ScnatOr Cameron and Re-
preventative Taylor, OF lllinols-have
admitted their guilt and another one
Representative kctcham, OF New York
is expected to do likewise. The
greatest farce OF the investigation was
enacted this week when Owenbey, the
man who claimed to have been mem
her of Il silver pool, was brought from
Chicago under arrest and put on the
stand. Almost before he began his
testimony the committee decided that
he must not mention the names OF
! Senators or Representatives that he
had heard named 10y other people ~
/ specializing in silver. That practically
shut out all that portion OF his evil
dencc that might have led to finding
out something, and it is believed that
it was intended to have just that very
effect.
The free coinage bill has been the
cause OF some very plain talk this week,
and unless all signs fail it is going to
bring on Il big row in the House. Sen
ator Cockerell said that the opposition
to the bill which has suddenly sprung
into life, in various sections, but prin-
cipally in the East, was inspired by
kilograms from the capitol; and Rep
resentativc Bland charged Represent
alive Walker, who is a Massachusetts
banker, with trying to smother the bill
in committee by granting endless hear
ings to all who asked for them. The
| 6 l,1 ,h that thc
bill will get no favors there, and all
that the free coinage men can now do
is to await favorable opportunity to
bring it directly before the House.
Congress has granted Mr. lIarriSon'S
request and passed II bill extending
the time during which an assistant
may act as the head of any executive
ten to thirty days, and now that gentle
man is up to his ears in the recon-
mendations of various would-be Secrc-
taries of the Treasury. All the big Re
publicans from Gen. Alger and Chaun-
cey Depew down to "me too" Platt,
who is himself a candidate, are fitting
in and out of Washington like restless
ghosts. 1t is stated by Republicans
that Mr.. Harrison has promised not to
give the place to silver man. He'll
have hard time to fill the shoes OF
the late Secretary Window; several of
those who might do so satisfactorily to
the country would under no circum-
stances connect themselves with the
present unpopular administration.
Senator Turpie, in accordance with
the resolution recently adopted by the
Indiana legislature, has offered n joint
resolution proposing an amendment
to the Constitution of the United
States, for the selection of Senators by
Il direct vote OF the people.
1t looks now as If the Fifty-iirst Con-
gress would come to an end before the
committee which has been for 10 these
many months making an alleged in
vestigation of the Pension Office and
Commissioner Raum, makes its report.
1t is thought that the report is held
back to keep Raum in his place as
long rs possible, as he is almost GER
tain to be removed when the report
goes to Mr.. Harrison.
The National Legislative Council,
which was provided for at the late
Ocala convention of the National
Farmers's Alliance, is now holding its
first session here. 1t is composed OF
the Presidents of the State organiza-
tions and the National President. Its
principal duties are to prepare the bills
that the Alliance will ask the next
Congress to pass. There is a rumOr
that the council has already decided
upon a material modification of tine
sub-trcasury scheme.
Speaker Reeds action in having re-
fused to give the House committee on
Foreign Affairs day for the considera-
ton of measures favorahly reported
from that committee, makes it prac-
tically impossible for us to make a sin
gle step towards the reciprocity now
extended by the Canadian government.
Well, there's one consolation, Reed
will be deposed Gar in very short
time.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb. IL, 1891.
Senator Plumb does not agree with
the majority of his party upon finan-
cial matters, nor upon the tariff, but
when it comes to question of Govern
ment pap, which is the keystone OF