Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1893-02-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Feb. IS, '93.
From Our Regular Oorrespe ndent

Is the victorious uemocrauo
party on the eve of disruption
democrats of national prominence
in Congress privately expi ess the
belief that it is, and predict that
long before the end of the admin
lstration to begin next month the
separation between the wings Will
be open and final. The principal
cause OF this belief is the wide
gulf that exists between Air;
Cleveland and the southern and
western democi ats on the silver
question, a gulf which the fAiiure
| of Mr.. c. to force the repeal 10y |
congress of the present silver le"
has widened and made apparently
limpassable, Notice has been pro-
,serly served on Mr. Cleveland 10y
Representative Bland, the leader
of the Silver democrats IN the
House, that further attempts along
tnis line would bring about Il with
ldrawal of the Silver men from the
party. The forcefulness OF Mr.:
| Cleyeignd's character Is so wen
known here that the general opin-
ION is that he viii continue hls
fight against silver by calling an
early session Of the Fifty-thifd
| Congress, unless convinced that q
| bill for the repeal ofthe silver law
would be voted down IN either the
House or Senate. In that case he
would postpone calling an extra
session until be had converted a
sufficient number to carry his
point.
The selection Judge Walter Q.
Gresham, as the head OF the cabi-
net, which 10 accepted here rs an
, accomplished fact, will also be a
factor in bringing about split III
the democratic party. As a rule
: the democrats In Congress decline
to publicly discuss this selection
. out privately they are showing
their anger aad disappointment.
The feeling among them may be
}. Judged by the fact that Senator
o GormgD, who Is ordinarily the
most Indifferent OF men to news
payer stories printed of him, tooB
b special pans TO 90 around among
the Washington correspondents
. and contradict the published run
or that Gresham had been select
ed on his advice. With the natur
t g. shrewdness OF the tgctful polltl
y cal wire puiler Gorman lost ne
II time in disayowlng his respon5l'
- bllity for Gresham; he had seer
: and noted the effect of the an
. nouncement Of his selection upoI
d his party associates IN Congress
o Senator Hill has been quietl.
sounding the democratic Senator
20 ascertain how many of them ar
= willing TO carry their opposition
Is to Gresham 10 the extent OF gotini
h against bis confirmation as
J. member OF the Cabinet. If b
! can secure the pledges OF suifi
cienl number of Senators to de
Il feat the confirmation he propose
'e to do it, although it would b
ID something never before attempted
te as it has been considered one o
the unwritten laws OF the Senat
to confirm Cabinet nomination
ST without question.
a. Pressure Is being -ruga
ID bear to have Seargeant-at arm
g. Yoder of the House made Com
" missioner Of Pensions, the schem
) of transferring that bureau to tn
v War Department and suspendini
le the pensions of all widows marri
ut ed since 1870; of all men hayinl
ee an income in excess Of $500 g year
and, except for total incapacity, o
all alien non-resIdents, fails, as i
as will. the comissionership i
8: merely to be used as stepping
Y stone to the democratic uomina
e ton for the Governor of Ohio
'L The claim is made by Ioder'
of friends that his connection wit
T, q. Y. q. will enable him to get tn
/: votes of sufficient number of oil
: soldiers, heretofore Republicans
to anchor Ohio permanently il
t. the Democratic column.
'e The House committee on Way
and Means is on a wild COOS
- chase after a silly newspaper ru
g nor alleging that Secretary Fost
l. er had.agreed to sell S60,O00,O0
N worth of bonds to syndicate o
,e New York bankers for gold
q There is not word Of truth in tn
:. rumor, Sec. Foster has made II
y agreement to sell bonds and ha
% no intention of making such al
Ii agreement, and he has no idea tha
V the financial situation will bt
4 such during this administration
as to cause him to even take sucl
y step into serious consideration
n Besides, it is well known to those
y who enjoy the Presidents conf
# dence that he would not permit al
issue CT bonds.
= = The democrats in the House at
u tempted to railroad the proposed
u radical changes IN the Pension
If laws through the House withou
C debate, but they were hauled "
short by the Republicans, whc
) told them they would filibustel
u until the end of the session If tn,