The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-12-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 1898.

radical measure than it was generally
expected to be. Mr.. Cleveland has
actually compelled democratic mem
bers of the house ways and means
| committee to vote to put articles on
.e free list against the protest OF their
| democratic constituents and with the
| full knowledge that such action would
bring want to many people of their dis
tricts and states. This may seem II
strong assertion, but it is not exag-
gerated in the slightest degree. How
has MIR. Cleveland obtained sufficient
control ever democratic members Of
the house to compel them to
vote away the welfare of their friends
and constituents The answer is easy.
He has done it by the use of patron
age and promises; he has given them
petty Offices for their personal follow
ing and has promised them that if they
tail TO get renominated and elected to
the fiftyfoufth congress he will pro
vide for them personally-Chairman
| Wilson, OF the Committe on ways and
means, who has betrayed two of the
greatest industries of West Virginia, by
| allowing coal and iron ore to be placed
on the free list, is understood to have
been promised lifetime position on
! the bench OF the United States circuit
or district court as reward for his
treachery to the interests Of his state
and people. The same policy is to be
| carried out to get votes for the Cieve-
land tariff bill-it is a misnomer to
call it by any bodyelse's name-in the
house, and will probably succeed as
we'll as with. the committee.
But when IL comes to che senate
those tactics will not necessarily sue
ceed The average senator is always
more Independent than member Of
the house. His term is six years and
if he has been lately elected, will extend
beyond that of the president, so that
he does not feel that he has any need
of being "taken care of" by the ad-
minstration in case his action or vote
is unsatisfactory to his constituents
There is not the slightest expectation
that the senate will pass the tariff bill
as it is now, even if Mr.. Cleveland
succeeds in his announced intention
to railroad 1t through the house,
although, looking at the matter from
purely political standpoint, it would be
the best thing that could happen for
the republican party for it to become
law just as it now is, but it would
be a great hardship on the wage
earners of the country; consequently
republicans will try to defeat it, or in
any event to have it amended IN MANY
respects.
Among the long list of articles
placed ON the free list by the new bill
are the following: wool, iron ore, coal,
pig tin, hemp, flax, jute, silver, lead
ore, copper, salt. crude borax, binding
twine, cotton ties, and lumber not ad-
vanced in preparation beyond saving.
The cut on articles left on the dutiable
list is deep and will probably average
somewhere about forty per cent.
No news is expected from Hawaii,
unless it be secured by special steam
er sent by some eenterprising newspaper,
before Dec. II. The administration
would very gladly crawl out of the un
pleasant hole in which it finds itself,
but as it cannot its members pretend
an Indifference they are far from feel
ing. Secretary Gresham is trying to
sneak out by telling his personal friends
that Mr.. Cleveland had determined to
restore the queen before he was sworn
in and that Blount's instructions were
prepared in the White House and given
him by Mr.. Cleveland, and that he
| (Gresham) had nothing whatever to do
with shaping the Hawaiian policy.
! But even while trying to do the sneak
act he has proven his completely in
what will be regarded by posterity as
one of the most dastarlly state crimes
in American history by ransacking
the state department record and Civ
ing out for publication in administra-
tion newspapers isolated letters which
seem to bear out his theory, or, as he
claims, Mr.. Cleveland's theory, that
! the Harrison administration had
knowledge of the intention to over
throw the queen long before that event
took place.
Just why the administration thinks
that its position would be completely
vindicated if this fact was proven is
more than | can tell 1t is probable
that nine intelligent citizens out of
every ten would say that this govern
ment did exactly what was right if it
had actually dethroned the queen, as
Mr.. Cleveland would like the country
to believe.
Not satisfied with controlling the
congressman now in Office Mr.. Cleve-
land has entered into conspiracy
with Messrs. Harrity, Quincy and
Dickinson, of the democratic national
committee to contro! the nomination
OF every democrat who runs for the
house of the titty-fourth congress,
through the machinery of the national