Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-02-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.

ger'' is nothing new to democratic
leaders, and whatever may be the
end of the farce comedy in which
they are now engaged, the audience,
which includes the entire country,
will get lots of amusement out of it.
The programme as arranged by stage
manager Crisp was to have the COM
mittee on Coinage and that on Ways
and Means have a pretended struggle
for the right way in the House for
their bills-free coinage and tariff
which was to be kept up long enough
to make it certain that the free coin
age bill would be thrown over to the
next session, thus allowing the demo-
Gratis to ask the votes of the free
coinage men because of their inten-
ton to pass the bill, and the votes of
the anti-silver men because of their
intention to defeat it.
The first act went according to pro-
gramme, but after the curtain fell it
was discovered that actor Bland pro-
posed making the struggle real and
free coinage bill, and to the conster
nation of the stage manager and his
assistants it was found that he had a
majority of the democrats of the
House with him, in black and white.
Then Mr.. Catchings was sent away,
SO as to prevent the committee on
rules holding a meeting, and as soon
as he returned Speaker Crisp went to
Fortress Monroe, where he is now
and where the opponents of free sill
yer wish to keep him until Bland and
his followers can be persuaded to
carry out the original programme.
Mr.. Bland is obstreperous. He says:
eve do not intend that minority
shall run over majority in that way,
and we have a majority in favor Of
the silver bill. The silver bill will
not be kept down by the tariff bills,
and if any such attempt is made we
will talk silver on every bill that
comes before the House, and offer the
silver bill as an amendment to every
bill taken up. They can't paddock
mans mouth or prevent bringing up
the question Of free silver, and if they
try it they will make silver the big
gest issue of all.'' The 'they'' con-
stantly referred to by Mr.. Bland are
the ninety anti silver democrats, who
want silver to go over in the interest
of Cleveland's candidacy. The anti
silver democrats having secured more
than the requisite number of sigma
lures to a call for caucus have re-
quested Mr.. Holman to issue the call
and he has promised to do SO this
week, but that will not help the mat
ter any more than the caucus held by
the silver men several weeks ago, as
neither side will be bound by eau
Gus, at least that is what they say.
1t is announced that the Ways and
Means committee will call up the
three free trade bills on the first of
March, but it is not probable that
they will do SO unless some sort of an
agreement is made with the silver
men. Congress is to meet again to-
morrow, but as the Chicago excur-
sionists will not return until Wednes-
day, there will be no quorum until
then.
The president has been compelled to
cancel a number of engagements
made for this week on account of
severe cold from which he is suffer-
ing. He is anxious to get away to
some quiet place for three Or four
days rest,~ but there are so many i'm
portant matters requiring his atten-
ton that it is not certain that he can
do SO just now, unless his physician
positively orders him to do it.
The bill passed by the Senate ex-
tending the present laws against
Chinese immigration for ten years
from next May, also contains pro-
vision to enable the Treasury depart
ment to get around the recent judi
cial decisions concerning the country
from which the Chinese immigrants
come, and to return them to China,
instead of to the last country from
which they came, as it has recently
been compelled to do under the afore-
said decisions. The bill also provides
severe penalties for the return of
Cinnamon once sent out of the United
States.
Whatever may have been the pros
pect of Utah for getting into the
Union, at the beginning of this ses-
sion of Congress, it is now regarded
as not having any at all. Three dele
cations, each pulling in different di-
rection, are largely, if not wholly re-
sponsible for this.