Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-02-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.


WASHINGTON LETTER.
Written and compiled for the HERALD
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Feb. 22.-Play-
ing the role of the 'artful dodger" is
Dothing 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 cut
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-of- way in the House for their bills
free coinage and the tarif-which was to
be kept up long enough to make it certain
that the free coinage bill would be thrown
over to the next session, thus allowing
democrats to ask the votes of the free
coinage men because of their intention 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 1t was
discovered that actor Bland proposed
making the struggle real and insisting
upon the passage of his free coinage BILL
and to the CONSERVATION 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 ana
white. Then Mr.. Catchings was sent
away, so as to prevent the committee on
Rules holding meeting, and as soon as
be returned Speaker Crisp went to Fort
ress Monroe, where he now is and where
the opponents Of free silver wish tie keep
him until Bland and his followers can be
persuaded to carry out the original pro-
gramme.
Mr. Bland is obstreporous. He says
ave DO not intend that a minority shall
run over a 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 mp.
They can't paddock mans mouth or
prevent bringing up the question oftree Sill
YER, and if they try it they will make Sll-
yer the biggest issue of all" The "they
constantly referred to by Mr.. Bland are
the ninety anti-sllver democrats, who
wants silver to 60 over IN the interest OF
Cleveland's candidacy. The auti.silver
democrats, having secured more than the
requisite number of signatures to call
for a caucus have requested Mr.. Holman
to issue tie call and he has promised to
do so this week, but that will not help
the matter any more than the caucus held
by the silver men several weeks ago, as
neither side will be bound by caucus, at
least that is what they say.
II is announced that the Ways and
Means committee will call up tie three
fire. trade bills on the first of March, but
it is not probable that they will do so M
less some sort of an agreement is made
with the silver men.
The President has been compelled to
cancel number of engagements made
for this week on account of severe cold
from which he is suffering. He Is anxious
to get away to some quiet place for three
or four days rest, but there are so many
important matters requiring his attention
that it is not certain that be can do SO
just now, unless his physician positively
orders him to do it.
The bill passed by the Senate extend
ing the present laws against Chinese i'm
migration for ten years from next May,
also contains provision to enable the
Treasury department to get around the
recent judicial decisions concerning the
country from which the Chinese immi-
grants come, and to return them tie CHINA,
instead of to the last country from which
they came, as it has recently been com
PEELED TO do under the aforesaid decision.
The bill also provides severe penalties for
the return of Cinnamon once sent out OF
the United States.
Whatever may have been the prospects
of Utah for getting into the Union, at the
beginning of this SESSION of Congress, 1t
is not now regarded as having any at all
Three delegations, each pulling in a diff
ferent direction, are largely, If not wholly
responsible tor this.
The Senate and House committees on
Immigration have begun the holding of
Joint sessions for the hearing of state
ments relating to immigration. There
seems SO far to be about as many opinions
on the subject as there have been speakers
before the committee.
Secretary Foster sails tomorrow for
trip to Europe. He goes merely for the
sea voyage, and will Immediately return.
Representatives Enloe and Cooper have
requested that the committee postpone its
investigation of the Pension office, 20 al
low them time to collect evidence. That's
queer, as they have been claiming all
along to have plenty of every evidence.
No thoughtful man can see any saying
of money that would be accomplished by