The Coconino weekly sun., 1892-12-15
WASHINGTON LETTER
From Our Regular Correspondence
Washington. Dec. 8, 1899.

slowly, and beyond tho Introduction
of few bills, some of them of impor-
tancc, its members have been devot-
ing their time to ascertaining the sem
timents of each other towards propos-
ed legislation. The republican mem
bers feel that it is not for them to pro-
pose, and the democrats feel the neces-
sity for going slow on anything new,
and they appear to be In doubt about
some things that are not new. The
Republicans say the democrats are
waiting to ascertain Mr.. Cleveland's
wishes before showing their hands.
There is at least one thing upon
which the Cleveland democrats aud
the Hill democrats appear to be in
perfect accord. That is the repeal of
the Sherman silver law. Senator Hill
has himself introduced bill in the
Senate for its repeal, and similar
bin has been introduced in the House
by Representative Williams, of Massa-
chusetts, who is one Of the most ar
dent admirers of Mr.. Cleveland in
Congress. The introduction of these
bills indicates that the democrats ex-
pect nothing to be accomplished by the
International monetary conference,
and they are not alone in that expecta-
ton.
If the talk of members is any indica-
tion it seems safe to predict that Presi-
dent Harrison's recommendations con-
cerning further restriction of immi-
grafton and the establishment of a
national quarantine will be acted upon
at this session A bill has been intro
duced in the House by democrat to
provide for national quarantine, and
one in the Senate by republican TO
suspend immigration one year from
next March. This last bill is approved
by both Senate and House Immigra-
tion committees, and will also be in
troduced in the House, so that it eau
be pushed without any unnecessary
delay.
Senators Kyle and PETER appear to
he fully alive to the Importance Of
their votes in the organization of the
Senate of the Fifty-third Congress, and
neither Of them will give the slightest
indication of which party they intend
to vote with in the organization of the
Senate. 1t is apparent, however, from
their conversation that they expect,
with other third party Senators yet to
be elected to hold the balance of pow
er in the next Senate, and that their
intention is to insist upon certain con-
cessions from the party that gets their
vote.
Congress never during my long SER
vice in Washington received Presi-
dents annual message with the indif-
ference that it did President Harrison's
this week. OF course the message
meets the approval of the republicans,
but for various reasons they have dis
played no great interest in it, or in fact
in anything else. As facetious ex-
Speaker Reed puts it: I'VE are mere
ly lookers-on nown The democrats
speaks slightingly of it, just as the re-
publicans in Congicss will be certain
TO do of president-elect Cleyeland's
messages. Tom Watson, the Georgia
populist member of "wherc was atPn
fame, says the message reminds him of
boy who has been licked daring the
other fellow to do it again. And so it
goes. "The king is dead; long live
the king" Nevertheless there are
things in that message that, like
Banquo's ghost, will not down, as the
democrats will discover in the near
future,
Secretary Fosters annual report, in
which he shows to his own satisfaction
that there should be surplus, instead
of the predicted deficit, for the fiscal
year ending June so, 1894, is not as
comforting rs one would have supposed
such information would be to the dem
ncrats who arc now engaged in prepar-
ing the bills carrying the appropria-
tions for that year, which must be
passed by the present Congress, for
the very simple reason that they do
no! accept the Secretaries figures.
In quiet way the Speakership of
the next House is already exciting
considerable interest, and If 1t shall
soon be apparent that Representative
Hooker's bill changing The time for
Congress to meet from December to
March stands good chance for be-
coming law at this season, that in-
terest will become all absorbing. Mr..
Crisp is the only avowed candidate,
and he has the advantage of possession;
but there are four gentlemen, Wilson,
of West Virginia, Bynum, of Indiana;
McMillin, of Tennessee, and Breckin-
ridge, of Kentucky, any one OF whom
may become q competitor, with the
backing Of Mr.. Cleveland,
The movement began in Congress at