San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-12-15
ASHlNGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.

From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. Dec. u. 1872.
Mr.. Cleveland will be y private citi-
zen until the fourth of next March,
but his will is nevertheless regarded
as law by the democrats in the pres
ent congress, and they are at this
very moment waiting to learn his
pleasure before deciding upon their
program tor the session, and shaking
and quivering for fear that some Of
them may be selected as the victim
of the great mans enmity, as was
Speaker Crisp at the Reform club
banquet, in New York, Saturday
night-a most shameful and disgrace
full thing it was too, on the part of MIR.
Cleveland's friends. Senators Cor
man, Brice and Carlisle, who went to
New York ostensibly to consult with
mem oers of the democratic national
committee concerning the senatorial
situa ton in states in which contfol of
the legislatures are still in doubt,
really went there to get Mr.. Cleve-
lands ideas of what legislation
should be taken up and what let
! alone by this congress, and the re-
suit of their visit Is to be laid be fore
q Joint caucus Of the democrats of the
House and Senate to be held in few
days. Mr.. Cleveland's New York Re.
form club speech lie being carefully
studied by those democrats who are
anxious to stand we'll with the future
dispenser OF federal patronage. and
some of them profess to be able to
read between the lines OF that speech,
which IL facetiously referred to here
as "Mr. Cleveland's first message"
more than can be seen by ordinary
people.
The democrats are divided on the
senatorial question. The radical
tariff smashers who claim Mr.. Cleve-
land as of their number, are in favor
OF resorting 10 extraOr binary methods
10 obtain control of the senate In the
next congress, while those who make
loud prof ession of intended tariff re-
form without really intending to make
any radical changes in the tariff sys-
tenn of the country, under the leader
ship of Senator Fill in thu senate
ana or speaker Crisp and Represep-
tative Springer in the house, hope
that all the doubtful legislatures will
send republican senators thus pre-
venting the democrats controlling
the senate and giving them an excuse
for not carrying out their campaign
promises. Neither faction wants to
| SEQ any more third party senators
elected. While probably a majority
of the prominent repu blicsns III con-
gress would rather see the democrats
control the senate there is no DISPOSE.
ton to help them elect senators AID
important conference of republicans,
among those present being Ma.
tional committee men Clarkson,
Marley and Estee, General Alger,
| Repre- sen tative Johnson, of North
Dakota; Treasurer Bliss, of the no
tional committee, ex-senator Warner
Miller and Mr.. George NJ. Pullman.
was held here two days ago to discuss
| the senatorial situation. 1t would be
Impolitic at this time to give the crr-
clusion arrived at. Suffice 1T to say
that some people may be surprised 1T
some OF the political developments of
the near future.
Ex-Speaker Reed was riding up to
the capitol this morning in q street
car, which, by the way, is his favorite
vehicle, when he was asked what he
thought of the legislative Quito k.
He looked at his questioner critically
for q moment, and then in a chsrac-
tesistiG drawl 80 peculiarly his own,
he replied: "Well, now that think
OF 1t, my democratic friends have
| neg lected or forgotten to take me In
10 their confidence; so l will not VEN
ture mn opinion"
Congress got through its first week
very quletIy, but it is probably only
the calm which usually precedes q
storm as the material for dozen leg
|'islative combats are lying around
loose h boGD ends or the capitol, and
rnly spark is needed to touch things
off; ana there are some very careless
individuals stalking around with fire.
brands IN their hands.
1t is already apparent that the
movement for the repeal of the pres
ent silver law stands q very poor
show of accomplishing anything at
this session; il seems to be utterly
impossible for the opponents of the
law to agree upon a substitute for 1t.
Senator Teller, who represents the
silver men, said on the subject 1.-THE
law is not what it ought TO be, and
We have always looked upon it as q
temporary expedient, but IL affords
some relief. Until something bet
Ter and more permanent is given
us the silver men will naturally
be opposed to the repeal. il the
Brussels conference does nothing
looking to relief, then we must do it.
1 am hopeful, however, that the con-
terence will accomplish something,
although it seems probable that it
will adjourn until spring.
The free trade wing of the democrs-