The Coconino weekly sun. [volume] (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 1891-1896, 1892-12-29
WASHINGTON LETTER
tFrom Our Regular Correspondent
W,cb;nrfon noo 30 1ooD


Washington, Dec. 23, 1892.
Will the next Secretary of Aricul-
ture be populistp Some people may
suppose this wild question, but it
isn't all the same. There are good
reasons for the belief that If such DEM
ocratic leaders as Senators German,
Brice and Carlisle and overcome Presi-
dent-elect Cleyeland's well-known
prejudice against the populists the
the successor to "Uncle Jerry" Rusk
will be chosen from the party, or rath-
er, will be man who. while support
ing the st. Louis platform and being
fully recognized as populst is, aside
from subjects covered by that platform
democrat. The desire on the part
of those senators to honor the popu-
lists is purely, political; they know
that the democrats are likely to need
the votes of the populist Senators quite
often, and sometimes very badly dur
ing the next session of Congress, and
they wish to make sure of getting
them. The populist Senators and Rep
resentativcs have given no sign show
ing what they think about being rep
resented in the Cleveland cabinet, and
one of them to whom the subject WIS
broached said: when an offer is
authoritively made will be time enough
to talk about it,
| With lobbyists from the whisky men
who object to any increase in the tax
on whisky, lobbyists from the ocean
steamship companies who object to
any suspension of immigration, lobby
lists from the great grain and cotton
exchanges who object to the passage
Of the anti-option bill, and lobbyists
representing all sorts Of private
schemes all extending invitations to
Senators Members to become their
guests during the whole or q part of
the Christmas recess. Congressman
who had not made their plans in ad-
vance had some difficulty in deciding
just how and where they should spend
their two weeks holiday. Very few
remained here.
Before the recess this week an at
tempt was made to side-track the anti
option bill, and the vote which is re-
gardcd as an exact indication Of how
the Ssnators stand on the anti-option
measure, was Al to Is, and ~ Sena-
; tors were reported as paired. Not
withstanding this overwhelming scnti-
ment in favor Of the bill its friends
, seem unable to force it through the
: Senate and some of them admit their
! fears of not being able to compel a
: vote upon il. Senator Washburn isn't
. one OF the doubters He says the bill
: will certainly 20 through at this ses-
/; sion.
The committee Of the Judiciary CON-
mittee of the House. which investigated
/; the Homestead trouble and the con-
, nection of the Pinkerton's herewith,
9 has never been able to agree upon the
t nature Of the report which must be
/ made TO the full committee. There
are five members of the subcommittee,
, and unless some of them change their
: will have to be five reports in order to
cover their opinions.
The opposition to the Nicaragua
I canal bill has reached such large pro-
portions in the House that II Is believed
by many that unless some one Of the
heavy hittcrs in the opposition ranks
J can be won over during the recess the
e canal people, will have the bill with
G drawn for the present session. to cs-
4 cape the black eye which defeat in the
] House would give the scheme in the
financial world. This opposition did
!. not, however, prevent the bill being
y favorably reported to the Senate before
D the recess, Senator Sherman has
= given notice of his intention to call IL
!, up and press it to n vote at the ear.
8 liest opportunity after the reassemb-
0 ling of the Senate,
D The democratic and republican Sen
n atorial caucus steering committees
n are getting themselves laughed at on
o account Of the very thinly disguised
d game of bluff they are playing against
s each other on the question Of olecting
U. s. Senators from the northwestern
states in which neither party has a
clear majority in the legislatures.
s Neither committee can really do any
h more than to throw its moral influence
: in favor of its party, aud it must Ie
confessed that moral intluence Is not a
very powerful OF dangerous factor in
modern politics,
All day and all night every since
Q last Sunday when MIR. Blaine came SC
4 near dying the street in front of his
residence has been crowded, mostly
with newspaper men, by those anx.
d ious to get the latest information from
h the sick room. He has held his own
b for the last two OF three days, but his
1 physicians plainly intimatd that his
| IL