Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-01-30
IRELAND, PA, JANUARY 80, 1898.
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The ffty-second congress may die in a
senatorial deadlock if Mr.. Harrison
follows the advice that is now being
given him by prominent members of
his party and nomnates Republican as
successor to the late Justice Lamar. The
United States supreme court is in theory,
if not in fact, a bipartisan body, and
the death of Justice Lamar leaves only
two men-Chief Justice Fuller and JUS
tice Field-on its bench who were
Democrats before their appointment
thereto. After man takes his seat
upon that bench he is not supposed to
have any politics, but the Democratic
party knows to its cost what mistaken
idea that is. 1t is only justice to the
people whose interests are constantly at
stake in questions coming before this
court that its membership should be as
nearly divided between the political
parties as possible, and for that reason
the Democratic senators are disposed to
resort to every honorable method to pre-
vent the addition of another Republican
to the six already sitting on the bench,
and if Mr.. Harrison nOminates Repub-
lican to the vacancy they will, if they
can, deadlock the senate, even if it re-
suits in hanging up all legislation and
forcing an extra session of congress. In
view of Mr.. Harrison's early retirement
and the fact that the new Justice cannot
take his seat until after President Cleve.
lands term begins, it would only be a
common decency for Harrison to leave
the vacancy for Cleveland to fill, and il
it were not for the pressure that is beirg
brought to bear upon him by his party
associates it is believed that he would
adopt that mani y course.
Secretary Foster'sr port on the condi-
ton Of the treasury and his estimates of
the probable receipts and expenditures
for the remainder of this and for the
next fiscal year is at last in the hands of
the house ways and means committee
1t is far from satisfactory, as it is known
that the surplus which he figures out is
obtained by failing to deduct liabilities
amounting to $46,000,000, which will
have to be met in the period covered by
his estimates, and there may be more
yet That the committee is now at work
trying to find out, and Mr. Foster will
probably have to undergo rigid cross
questioning
An amusing episode took place in the
house one morning this week, Just be-
fore the session began. Chief Wolf, of
the Palouse tribe of Washington Indians
in all the glory of red blanket and red
paint, was taking in the sights After
strolling around the hall for while he
walked up to the speakers chair aud
taking a seat therein camly surveyed
the members. While he was sitting
there witty member remarked: "That
is the first savage who has occupied the
In; OF -
Reed was sitting near by and heard
the remark, and he joined in the laugh
which followed.
There is an interesting rumor here to
the effect that the Republican national
committee is engaged in setting up pins
to make j. S. Clarkson the Republican
candidate for president in 1896. The
idea is not taken very kindly by the
Harrison Republicans who regard Clark
bon as "hoodoo" of the first order.
BY 1896, judging from present indica-
tions, the Republican party will be past
"hoodooing"
A Republican caucus of senators was
held to determine when and how the
four territories that are ready for state
hood might be admitted. The first thing
the caucus did was to strike Arizona
from the list, as being too certainly
Democratic. Then it proceeded to ar
range programme, which, while ac-
Quiescing in the demands of Oklahoma
Utah and New Mexico to be admitted
to the family of states, only gives then
about one chance out of possible hun
dred to get the bills, proyiding there
fore, through at this session of congress
The programme arranged gives the
right of way to the territorial bills afte
the Cherokee strip, the anti-option anC
the Nicaragua canal bills are disposed of
What that right of way is worth may bt
judged from the fact that the senate ha!
not yet disposed of single one of the
appropriation bills.
The contract for the inauguration fire
works has been awarded to the st. Louis
Fireworks Company, the price being
$4,650. S.