The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-08-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular correspondens.I

:
Washington, Aug. 10, 1898.
Persistent demands from republican
senators that the senate do something
more than fritter away its time waiting
for the house to dispose Of the silver
question have had the effect OF bringing
about daily meetings. of the senate COM
mittee on finance, 1t remains to be seen
however, whether anything practical
will come out of these meetings. In
other words whether financial bill will
be reported that will meet the views OF a
majority of the senate and at the same
time lie of such nature as to meet the
presidents approval. Indiscreet friends
of Mr.. Cleveland are adding to the diff
Guilty by stating it to be Mr.. Cleveland's
intention to veto any bill to which is
attached any conditions. to the repeal of
the purchasing clause of the Sherman
law. If they really speak for Mr.. Cleve-
land he would better have left the extra
session uncalled.
The FIRST bill passed by the senate was
one appropriating $500. 900 for the pur-
chase of site and the erection of FIRE
proof building for the storage of the pub
lie records which now crowd the corri-
doris of most OF the department build
ings. 1t was passed without a division.
The general impression here is that the
United States gets what was most de
sired out of the Behring'S sea arbitration,
withstanding the main decision was
against us. Canadian sealers will be the
only sufferers, and that is. but justice, as
they alone have for years stood in the
way Of an agreement that would have
made arbitration unnecessary.
There is more in the continued delay
on the part of Speaker Crisp in announc-
ing the house committee assignments
than appears on the surface. and when
the announcements are made they will
have plain meaning to many students
of the undercurrents of politics. For in.
stance, Mr.. Springer's chances for again
being made chairman Of the ways and
means committee have steadily improved
az the doubt of any real action being
taken by the present house on the tariff
has increased. Now, if Springer is again
put at the head of that committee it will
mean that little or nothing will be done
with the tariff by that committee, as he
10 not man of action, but one Of great
pretences-besng to craftsmanship about
what Gen. Mcclellan was to war. On
the other hand, if Wilson. of West Vir-
ginia. be made chairman of the commit
tee it viii that free trade tariff bill will
be reported from the committee at the
earliest possible moment, as Wilson is a
nervous and energetic little man,
crammed to the neck with bookish free
trade theories which he is anxious to see
tried upon the people of the United
States.
Senator Gordon, of Georgia, has been
credited with being leveLheaded man,
and yet he fathered a bill introduced in
the senate this week to suspend the 10
per cent. tax on state bank currency for
six months, bill that would, if a law,
probably cause more mischief than even
the permanent repealofthat tax. States
men are mighty few and far between on
the democratic side of the senate.
SENATOR Hill made his first bid for
southern support in 1896 when he intro
duced a bin in the senate this week for
the repeal of the federal election laws.
He had previously introduced a resolu-
ton to confne the legislation of the
extra session to matters relating directly
to the finances of the country.
Senator Butler, of South Carolina, has
offered a resolution instructing the sem
ate committee on finance to report
blanket bill, providing for the repeal OF
the purchasing clause OF the Sherman
silver law, the free coinage Of silver at
ratio to bs hereafter determined, and for
the repeal Of the tax on state bank cur
rency. the bill to be voted on not later
than August 22d. Whatever may be
done no such bill as that will ever pass
the senate. It provides for too much.
Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts has
come to the front unusually early for a |
new senator. and his speech this week |
urging immediate action on financial
matters has attracted, as it deserved,
much attention. He truly said: What |
the people want above everything is to
see action--some sort Of action by con
gress. II the country is to have free
coinage let the country know it, and If |
there Is to be an unconditional repeal of
the She, man act let the country know
it."
Senator Hoar also made 4 strong and !
patriotic speech urging the senator's to /
drop partisanship and deal with the
money question intelligently. I