Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-07-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Apathy of Democratic Congressman
in Politics.
Getting Ready for Adjournment. .Busi-
ness About Completed.
GFrom our Regular Correspondent. !

way, the Democratic statesmen may
begin to interest themselves in the cam
paign, but at present they manifest
hardly any interest in the Presidential
situation, and seem not to know Just
what to think of the outlook. 1t il
easier to get a Democratic Congress
man to talk of most anything else than
of the National campaign, which has
been started with the nomination OF
four candidates. They seem to think
that they have nothing in particular ia
do with the matter, but that the man.
agement lies somewhere else. The
trouble with them appears to lie in the
fact that there is a distinct lack of
harmony of purpose between those
men who run Congress and those who
ran the last convention. AS a rule,
perhaps, the politicians great and
small, are ready to do whatever they
can for the National ticket, but they
have not yet got over the feeling that
the shaping of the campaign is not in
their hands, and that anything they
may do is not liable to meet with ap
proval in other quarters. In Cleve-
lands canvass there is altogether too
much of speculative philosophy for
them to grasp at this early stage of the
proceedings. One thing that they re-
alize is that they are called ON to sacri-
fee great deal in their individual dis
tricts for their Presidential candidate,
but they do not quite understand the
purpose of it or what is to be gained in
the end. They recognize, too, that
there are two antagonislic elements
which are expected to support Cleve-
land, and they are in doubt as to which
is going to be given charge of the cam
paign. The old line Democrat does not
know whether he is going to command
or obey.
After all there is an astonishingly
small number of soreheads left in Con-
gress as the result of the summary dis
position of the free silver coinage bill.
The members were comparing notes
and find that they are as well off as
could be expected. The extreme silver
men say that they have made glori-
Gus fight, and can now go home and
tell their people that they have done
all that Representatives could do to ad-
vance the cause which is 80 near their
hearts. Also, they hope to renew the
struggle next winter with better pros
poets of success. The ants, as they
are now commonly known, as a rule,
represent constituencies that are
strongly committed in favor of the
gold standard or of the present coin
age laws. They will go home and ar
que with their people that the party
they represent is sound on the financial
question, and hope thereby to gather
many votes in the fall elections. That
is what all of the members and the
Senators as well, are thinking of, and
consequently they are. extremely anx-
ious to get away from Washington and
begin the campaign work. Many of
the members who have heretofore been
strongly entrenched behind big major
tiles now begin to feel apprehensive,
and they want to 60 home and talk
with their constituents. So matters of
legislation are being hurried forward
with all expedition and nothing can
stand before conference report on one
of the remaining appropriation bills.
The Commerce Committee yesterday
with great difficulty got a special order
in the House for the transaction of
some of its accumulated business, but
the order was hollow mockery, for
one conference report after another
came in to take up the time until three
had been disposed of and had consumed
all of the day. That marked consid-
erable advance toward final adjourn
ment
An informal but significant gather
ing of several members of the Cabinet
occurred at the White House last night.
1t was not held in the Cabinet Room,
but on the south portico, where the air
was several degrees cooler than indoors.
There were present Secretaries Foster
of the State Department. and Foster of
the Treasury Department, Secretary
Elkins and Secretary Rusk. Senator
Sawyer, of Wisconsin, and others were
also present. While there was consid-
cradle talk that was purely social, there
was also political drift that was full
of interest, as indeed was necessarily
the case in such gathering of poll
ticians. The Craftsmanship of the Re-
publican National Committee was a
prominent topic, and it is quite likely
that the position will be filled by ex-
Senator John G. Spooner, of Wiscon-
sin. 1t is well known that there is a
warm friendship between the President
and Mr.. Spooner. He was an ardent
upholder of the force bill, and made an
elaborate and eloquent speech in the
Senate in behalf of that measure.
Commissioner Carter, National Com.
mitteeman Evans, of Minnesota, and
other politicians are inclined to be Sc.
cretive about the disposition of the
Craftsmanship. 1t is said that three OF
four names are being considered, but il