The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-12-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON. Dec II, 1879

was one of the few administration
Senators. and he was referring to
Mr.. Cleveland whom he had just
seen. Whether the Senator was
right IN his diagnosis your CORES
pondent does not pretend to say,
but it is becoming evident that Mr..
Cleveland's friends think there is
something the matter with him.
His actions have of late certainly
been queer. He is inpatient, cross
and almost insulting to the few
Senators and Representatives he
condescends to see at all, and when
they afterwards get together and
compare notes they find that he is
changeable and inconsistent rs we'll.
Every discriminating person who
has taken the trouble to compare
the style of the literary work upon
his annual message with that Of his
messages during his first admins
tration must have discovered a great
difference in them. This may, Of
course, be largely owing to the fact
that Dan Lamont finds the duties
of Deputy President SO exacting
that he has no time left to assist in
the preparation of executive docu-
ments. BE that as it may, Mr..
Cleveland friends-he sees no one
else, except in public way-are
certainly showing among tn mselvrs
uneasiness about his mental condi-
ton.
The Democrats in the House are
acting more like Il lot of badly de-
moralized school bows than states
men. They promised that the new
tariff bill should be reported to the
House on the first day of the SEES
sion, and the bill has not yet been
reported, although Mr. Wilson
promises that it shall be this week.
The Democrats Of the Ways and
Means committee have already
made dozens of minor changes in
the tariff bill. thus acknowledging
that 1T was not properly considered
before it was made public. They
are now squbbling among them
selves about submitting the bill to
a caucus before it is reported, and !
Democrats are openly saying that
they will not vote for the bill unless f!
certain industries IN their districts
are protected. The House com
mittee on banking and currency, |
which has been wrestling with that
plank of the Chicago platform,
which promised the repeal of the
tax on state bank currency, plank, |
by the way, that Mr.. Cleveland alb.
solutely ignored ID his message, has
arrived ut no conclusion, although
ITS chairman-the much sat upon
Springer of Illinois, has made
public hodge podge of absurdrties
that could not possibly be carried
INTO effect, even if they were en-
acted. showing what alleged prog
ress the committee has made.
The Democratic members of the
Ways and Means committee are at
daggers points concerning the items
that are to be included in the inter
nal revenue bill, which ought to
have been ready simultaneously
with the Cleveland tariff bill. A
majority of them favor personal
income tax, but they hesitate about
incorporating it il the bill because
of Mr.. Cleveland's premature an
IN his message, that
the committee had agreed to tax
the profits of corporations only.
Meanwhile the holiday recess Is in
sight and nothing has been accom-
plished.
In obedience to the demand of
the Senate resolution passed last
week all of the Hawaiian documents
will this week be sent to the Senate.
"Like master like man. Secre-
tary Carlisle has refused the request
made by officials of the G. y. R.
that they be allowed to solicit con- !
tributions IN the Treasury for a
Christmas dinner to the INDECENT
soldiers of this department.
The southern war claimants will |
have snap if the bill which has
been favorablY reported from the
Judiciary committee of the House |
ever becomes II law. The bill pro-
vides for the repeal of all laws max
ing personal disloyalty bar to |
claims against the government for
property destroyed during the re-
bellion, and gives all claimants
whose cases were by reason of their
dislovalty thrown out of the Court
of CLAIMS the right to revive their
claims aud to have the same rights
and privileges in prosecuting them
that would be extended to the man
who was always loyal to the govern
ment. Any person could recognize
the jobbery in this bill, even if the
southern lobby, headed by ex-Con-
gresham Hemphin, of South Caro-