Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-12-12
AT THE CAPITAL.
Our Special Correspondent Tells What
Is Being Done in Washington.
WASHINGTON, December 8, 1892.

is DeihR DOHe LII "aSnlHStohs "
WASHINGTON, December 8, 1892.
Congress is feeling its way very slowly
and beyond the introduction of few
bills, some of them of importance, its
members have been devoting their time
to ascertainipg the sentiments of each
other towards proposed legislation. The
Republican members feel that it is not
for them to propose, and the Democrats
feel the necessity for going slow on any
thing new, and they appear to be in
doubt about some things that are not
new. The Republicans say that the
Democrats are waiting to ascertain Mr..
Cleveland's wishes before showing their
hands.
There is at least one thing upon which
the Cleveland Democrats and the Hill
Democrats appear to be in perfect ac-
cord. That is the repeal of the Sher-
man silver law. Senator Hill has him
self introduced a bin in the senate for
its repeal, and similar bill has been in
troduced in the house by Representative
Williams, of Massachusetts, who is one
of the most ardent admirers of Mr..
Cleveland in congress. The introduce
ton of these bills indicates that the
Democrats expect nothing to be accom-
pllshed by the international monetary
conference, and they are not alone in
that expectation.
If the talk of members is any indica-
ton it seems safe to predict that Presi-
dent Harrison's recommendations con-
cerning a further restriction of immigra-
tion and the establishment of a national
quarantine will be acted upon at this
session. A bill has been introduced in
the house by Democrat to provide for
national quarantine, and one in the SEN
ate by Republican to suspend immigra-
ton for one year from next March.
This last bill is approved by both senate
and house immigration committees, and
will also be introduced in the house, so
that it can be pushed without any un-
necessary delay.
Congress never during my long service
in Washington received a presidents
annual message with the Indifference
that it did President Harrison's this
week. Of course, the message meets the
approval of the Republicans, but for
various reasons they have displayed no
great interest in it, or in fact in anything
else. AS facetious eX-Speaker Reed puts
1t: we are merely lookers-on now"
The Democrats speak slightly of it, just
as the Republicans in congress will be
certain to do of President-elect Cleve-
lands messages. Tom Watson, the
Georgia Populist member of "where was
| at?' fame, says the message reminds
him of the boy who has been licked
daring the other fellow to do it again.
And so it goes. ''The king is dead;
long live the king"
Secretary Fosters annual report in
which he shows, to his own satisfaction,
that there should be a surplus, instead of
of the predicted deficit, for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1894, is not as com
forting as one would have supposed
such information would be to the Demo-
Gratis who now are engaged in preparing
the bills carrying the appropriations for
that year, which must be passed by the
present congress, for the very simple
reason that they do not accept the secre-
tary's figures.
In quiet way the speakership of the
next house is already exciting consider
able interest, and, if it shall soon be ap-
parent that Representative Hooker's
bill changing the time for congress to
meet from December to March stands
good chance for becoming a law at this
season, that interest will become all
absorbing. Mr.. Crisp is the only avow-
ed candidate, and he has the advantage
of possession; but there are four gentle
men-Wilson, of West Virginia; Bynum,
of Indiana; McMillin, of Tennessee, and
Breckenridge, of Kentucky-any one of
whom may become a competitor, with
the backing of Cleveland.
The movement began in congress at
the last session to bring about the abro-
CATION of the treaty with Great Britain
prohibiting war ships on the great lakes
has been revived and is now exciting
much interest. Senator Frye's bill for a
suspension of all privileges now enjoyed
by Canadian commerce is also much
talked about.
Bills have been introduced in both
house and senate for the repeal of all
federal election laws authorizing the
appointment of deputy marshals and
supervisors for service at the polls, but
it will simply be waste of time for the
Democrats in the house to pass it, as it
never will be passed by the Republican
senate. S.