Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-05-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Discreditable Condition of Affairs
in the House.
Conflict in Congress Over Naval Ap.
preparations Bill.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., April 30, '92.
The state of affairs in the House at
present is not creditable to the Demo-
cratic party or to the country. No pro-
gress has been made with the Diplo-
matte Consular Appropriation Bill
since O'Clock Wednesday afternoon,
for the reason that it has been impos-
sible to hold 1877 Democrats in the hall,
although the numerical strength of the
majority is 234. 1t is true that the Re-
publicans have refrained from voting,
but the Democrats are sufficiently
strong to transact business even if ev-
cry Republican should absent himself.
Certainly no sympathy will be felt for
any attempt to palliate their own de-
linquencies by throwing on the minor
ity share of the blame. While the
House has been dilly dallying the Sen
ate has passed all the appropriations
ent to it except two, while the House
has yet to take action upon the Sundry
Civil, Postoffice, River and Harbor,
Agricultural, Legislative, Fortifica-
tions, and General Deficiency Aprro-
priation Bills. This is hardly good
record for Congress that SO loudly
proclaimed its intention to transact its
business quickly and adjourn early.
Nor are these wasted days, during
which the members draw an aggregate
of $4,000 in salaries, in the line of re-
trenchment and reform.
A Speaker of the United States House
of Representatives has always an oner-
GUS task in keeping order in so unwieldy
and heterogeneous body as that is.
A Speaker 8 task is all the more exact
ing and troublesome when he has him.
self prominently assisted in securing
the adoption of set of rules that do
not seem to accomplish the purpose for
which rules are framed without the
greatest amount of friction. Such is
the position in which Speaker Crisp
found himself the other day in the
deadlock over a matter that ought to
have been settled at the previous ses-
sion. The present House rejecting the
example of the last in part, but not in
other parts, adopted under the report
from the Committee on Rules code of
rules that neither forbids filibustering
altogether nor, strictly interpreted, per-
mits it. If the Chair had followed
Rule Seventeen to its logical conse-
quences, it would have been found that
quorum of members was present for
the purposes of the occasion. The rule
quoted was apparently framed to pre-
Vent futile call of the House after the
ordering of the previous question.
The precious hours of the day were
wasted in child's play over matter of
no consequence, the only definite teach
ing of the occasion being the lesson
that, under the existing rules, as inter
preted by their trainers, minority of
the House can defeat action at pleasure.
The situation of Cleveland, as UNDER
stood by politicians here, is such as to
make his success depend entirely upon
the determination with which the dele
cations from the Cleveland States in
sist upon his nomination. 1t is felt to
be very probable that if those States
favoring Cleveland should send delega-
tions to the national convention who
would vote for the ex- President from the
jump, and show that they intended to
insist on his nomination in spite of New
York, he would probably get the nomi-
uation. A merely sentimental and tim
i'd support will hardly count in this
fight. The Hill people are going to the
convention to win, with dash, if pos
sible. If Cleveland can get all the
votes at once that are earnestly for
him he may have such lead as to
make the Hill support insignificant.
But the action of the Illinois conven-
tion, following that of Indiana, does
not give promise of the sort of support
that is necessary under the circum-
stances.
A thousand more or less distinguish
ed men may visit the capitol and de-
part unnoticed, but this can never be
said of James G. Blaine. The Secre.
tary was at the capitol yesterday for
little more than an hour, and ever since
he left everybody has been asking ev-
erybody else-"Did you see Blaine p"
The amount of interest taken in his
mere presence was remarkable. Inqui-
ries as to his appearance and apparent
condition were plentiful, and the con-
sensus of opinion was 10 the effect that
the statesman from Maine was satisfac-
torily well. Those who talked with
him or heard him deliver his argument
against granting cable landing privi-
leges to French company, are conf
dent that neither his mental nor physi-
cal strength has abated.
The outcome OF the conflict between
the House and the Senate over rea-
sonable increase this year of the naval
establishment is likely to be that an
additional war ship and at least two or
three of the smaller vessels asked for
will be conceded. The position assum.
ed by the House can not possibly be
maintained in the face of the evident
desire of the people to have navy that
can protect their rights from invasion.
The friends of an increase in the navy
expect naturally that they will be as.