Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-10
WASHINGTON NOTES.
A Breezy Letter From the
Capital.
The Legislation On the Silver
Question.
President Harrison and the Bering
Sea Question.
Gossip From tho Seat OF Government.
Proposed Action of Congress
on Various Pending
Questions.

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on the Bland bill proves anything clear.
Iy, it is that there is no overwhelming
demand, and therefore no immediate
necessity, for the legislation it embod.
les. A bill that was saved from being
laid on the table only by the speakers
casting vote cannot be pressed on the
ground of urgency. A measure OF so
sweeping character as this, upon which
the men in both parties are honestly but
radically opposed to each other, and
upon which, moreover, the house is &c
evenly divided, should not be rushed
through under whip and spur and under
| the operation OF gag rule. Neither is
it the kind OF bill that should be passed
by narrow majority. To carry it by a
small vote would be generally accepted
throughout the country as virtual de-
feat for the free coinage men.
1t is said that the majority of the
members of the house committee on
rules have decided that they will not
vote to report cloture rule to enable
the passage of the Bland bill unless
majority of the Democratic members Pc
tition for such action. This undoubt-
edly means the laying aside of the silver
bill, and that such disposition will bring
relief to a large section of the Demo
cratic party there is no room to doubt.
Speaker Crisp and his Democratic COL
leagues on the committee on rules will
very likely be severely criticised by the
ultra silver advocates, but it is difficult
to see how they could have adopted any
other course without 80 seriously en-
dangering party harmony as to make
the Democratic presidential nomination
practically worthless. Without regard
to the merits of the financial
issue, it must be admitted that there is
a wide difference in public opinion on
the subject of free coinage. The divis.
ions on this question do not closely fol-
low party or sectional lines. Promi-
nence was given to this fact by Mr..
Bland in his able presentment of the
free coinage side of the question. For
this reason it would have been poor pol
icy for the speaker and his colleagues on
the rules committee to have attempted
to make more onerous the rules of the
house.
The house foreign affairs committee
has authorized favorable report on a
bill pending for the appointment by the
president of the commissioners to the
Columbian exposition at Madrid next
fall. These commissioners are to be
taken from the active or retired list of
the army and navy.
So far as the country is informed of
the contents of the last contributions to
the Bering sea correspondence there is
nothing new in the situation.
Briefly, this is the condition of things
Any one has the right to take seals on
the high seas. Mr.. Blaine once con-
tended that the seals were ours and that
therefore they were like our American
citizens, constantly under the protection
of the American flag. But that is not a
serious contention.
The Canadians have been taking seals
on the high seas. This act, which is
not piracy, is nevertheless detrimental
to the interests Of monopoly in seal
catching established by our government,
and of certain dyers and dressers of furs
in London.
The Canadian sealers are threatening
the seals with destruction. In conse-
quence the United States government
proposes that Great Britain and itself
shall unite for the preservation of the
seals. Whether or not this union shall
be effected is matter for the consider
tion of the proposed arbitration.
1t surprises nobody to find an English
newspaper describing Mr.. Harrison as a
shallow demagogue striving to further
his personal ambition by silly bluster in
the Bering sea affair. This is the British
aristocrat's idea of the American char
acter, derived, no doubt, from their OBJ
servations of Yankee snobs and toadies.
But it is not pleasant to encounter such
estimates in papers published on this
continent under the protection of the
United States flag. 1t is humiliating,
in fact, that such a thing should be pos
sible.
Fortunately, the journals that take
this view of Mr.. Harrison are few in
number and insignificant in influence.
There is an overwhelming plenty of evil
dence to the effect that the great masses
OF people, without regard to sectional or
political differences, perceive in Mr.. Har-
rison the motives of patriot and the
acts of statesman. They fully under
stand that the issue has deeper mean
ing than attaches to any mere consider
alton of the seals and the privileges of
taking them. They are not to be de-
luded by specious arguments as to the
boundaries, any more than they are to
be frightened or dissuaded by cock-and-
bull stories OF the British navy. Intel
ligent men have long since realized that
the question is one Of our national dig
nifty, and their grateful acknowledge
ments 60 out to the president who
stands for their pride and love of coun-
try.
Public opinion will make itself felt in
congress speedily enough when the time
comes. The feeling of the country is
that we have made too many conces-
sions to England already and that no
more shall be added to the list. On that
proposition the president will have the
support OF an aroused and undivided ma
ton.
The Springer free wool bill will be
brought to vote on April 22d or 23d,
unless there should be hitch in the
present programme of the Democratic
majority of the ways and means COM