Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-05-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.

WAsHIN6ToN, May 10, 1892
The president is going to the seashere
with Mrs. Harrison. who is just getting well
enough To travel; Secretary Noble is in st.
Louis, and Secretary Foster has gone up
the Potomac for several days bass fishing.
All Of which shows how much truth there
is in the stories printed by Democratic pa
pers, charging that the entire administra-
ton is devoting it's whole time trying to in
fuence the votes of the uninstructed dele
gates to the Minneapolis convention.
The Republican congressional campaign
committee has elected an executive COM
the work of assisting to elect Republican
majority OF the house next November. The
committees work is constantly being made
easier by the action of the Democratic ma
iority of the present house.
The senate committee on foreign rela-
tions does not agree with the house in
ignoring the good prospects for largely in
creasing our commerce with the other re-
publics Of this continent, SO it has re-
ported amendments to the consular and
diplomatic bill Increasing to $50, 900 the
amount appropriated for the maintenance
of the bureau: of American republics, and
appropriating S65, 900 to pay the share OF
the United States of the expense of the
preliminary survey for the inter-contnen-
tai railway, recommended by the Pan
American congress.
There is considerable opposition ia the
senate to the confirmation of the nomina-
tion Of T. Jefferson Coolidge to be minister
to France, hut the impression is that it is
hardly strong enough to reject him. The
opposition is headed by what are known
as the silver senators, who are opposed to
sending man of Mr. Coolidge's pronounced
views in favor Of a single (gold) standard
to a bi-metallic country.
Having passed the big river and harbor
bill, the Democrats OF the house, in order
to even up things, slashed away at the
items of the sundry civil appropriation bill
making reductions that all admit to be alb
surd, such, for instance, cutting down
more than one-third the estimates for re
pairs and preservation of public buildings"
Representative Cogswell, of Massachusetts,
wittily said that il he were called upon to
put a motto at the head of this bill IL
would read thus: "No saving but post
ponement no economy, but increased ex-
penditures in the end"
There is big difference between allowing
two of the finest steamships in the world
the privileges of American registry, on con
dition that ut least two similar vessels be
constructed in American ship yards, by
their owners, as the bill signed by the presi-
dent this week does, and pass a bill grant
ing those privileges to any and all vessels
built in foreign countries, as the Democratic
house will soon find out, if it accepts the
advice of Representative Fithan, of Hi
nois, and passes n bill to admit foreign
built vessels of all kinds to American regis
try. The first bill will result in an Increase
Of work for Americans, while the last,
should it become "a law, would eventually
result in the closing of every American ship
building establishment.
The house committee on elections has
reported in favor of another Republican
Representative Shonk, the sitting member
from the twelfth Pennsylvania district,
whose seat is contested by Democrat,
and as the Democrat in the case is not
backed by boss Hill it is not probable that
the house will reverse the action Of the
committee this time.
Senator Sherman says all the talk about
his becoming a candidate against the presi
| dent is bosh. He expects the president to
be nominated on the first ballot or not at
all.
Boss Hill thinks it will be easier for him
| to control the Chicago convention will
$50 than with 800 members, so he pre-
tends to believe that it is not legal to
choose delegates to the national conven
tions and members of the electoral college
upon the new congressional apportion
| ment, and that the electoral college viii
consist of 42l members, instead of AL
which is the proper number under the new
apportionment He has not found singl,
man Of prominence in any party to agre'
with him, nor is it very likely that he will
Since it was discovered that the present
house has appropriated 5000, 900 NOR
| than was appropriated at this period q
the first session OF the last congress th'
Democrats are not doing SO much talking
about the "billion dollar congress-"
| Strong but Intellectual appeals were mad
to the house by representatives from TIN
| sections affected to secure sufficient appro
priation for the survey OF public lands
but as this would benefit only the poo
hear OF such piece OF extravaganza.