Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-02-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the HERALD.

Written and compiled for the HERALD
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. 1.-The
decentralization il the ranks of the ma
lority of the House becomes more marked
as time rolls on and the House continues
to do nothing. After using up weeks
time in showing how inbarmonious they
were in supporting the rules reported by
the committee on Rules the democrats OF
the House, or rather few more than half
of them, spent several hours in caucus
Saturday night, in order to give them
selves a chance to say things that they
did not care TO say in open session, but at
its close they were little better off than
they were before, true, majority of the
caucus voted an endorsement of the rules
but those 30 voting number less than half
of the democratic strength in the House.
The rules, are in many respects unsatls-
factory. as was demonstrated when Repre-
sentatives Buchanan and Burrows gave
the House an object lesson in Low easy IL
might be tied up under them, but 1t Is
evident they will be adopted, in the main,
Just as they were reported.
Another caucus is to be held next FIJI
day night by the democrats on the silver
question, but from the open manner In
bich members are. declaring that they
will not be bound by any caucus decree
that is adverse to the will OF their con-
stituents il is considered doubtful wheth-
or the result of the caucus will IN any
way affect the final disposition of the free
coinage bill which will shortly be report
ed TO the House from the committee on
Coinage, Weights. and Measures,
The democratic members of the Ways
and Means committee have decided that
the tariff policy, so far as the reporting OF
bills from that committee is concerned,
shall consist of a number of separate bills,
but it is SAID that Mills and those opposed
TO that method will either appeal to a
caucus or autagOnize the first bill reported
TO the House by Offering as an amendment
general tariff bill.
1t is out of democratic mouths that most
of the charges of eXtravangance MADE
against the Fifty-first Congress have
been refuted. A striking instance was
given upon the floor of the House, when
some of the ''peanut" wing of the demo
cratic party made a casual reference to
the extravaganza of the appropriations
made by the Post Office committee OF the
last House. Representative Blount, OF
Georgia, who is chairman OF the present
Post Office committee, and has been a
member of the same committee through
several Congresses, and whose democracy
cannot be Questioned, Indignantly denied
the charge, and stated positively that all
the increases made in appropriations by
that committee had been made absolutely
necessary by the increasing business and
prosperity of the country.
After a very lively discussion the Ma
tional Board of Trade, which was in SEES
sion here last week, passed q resolution
against the bill pending in Congress to
prohibit or regulate by heavy tax dealing
in futures or "options," known to
plain people as specializing in the future
price of gain, or to put 1t still palmer
betting what the price OF grain Will be al
a gwen time in the future.
The Chllian episode has now practical
" closed. Saturday Secretary Blaine in
structed Minister Egan to inform the
CHILEAN Government that its answer to
the Presidents ultimatum was satlsfac-
tory and gratifying to this Government.
The attempt TO again stir up the war
feeling which was made by the sensational
press by stating that the administration
had demanded as an additional hnmllia-
ton to the Gillian Government that II
should salute our flag was entirely with
out foundation. The President and his
advisers IN and out of the Cabinet, are too
manly to seek to take any advantage OF
a weaker power which has acknowledged
Its errors and expressed regret for them
1t 10 probable that Chill may soon have
a new minister here, as Senior Mott by
positive misstatements during the recent
negotiations has destroyed his usefulness
to bis Government, and in all future COM
munications of Importance he will be
ignored by this Government while he re-
mains here.