The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-08-04
FORECAST OF CONGRESS
No Great Changes in the Rules
of the House.
FIGHT OVER THE oooRkeepeRsHlp.


FIGHT OVER THE DooRkEEPERsHlP.
Turner Claims 10 Have Secured Enough
Votes to Insure His Re-eiection-Con-
srsssmen Generally Slow In Arriving as
the Capitai-finance the Absorbing
Topic.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2.-Representativ q
Catchings, the leading member Of the
House Committe on Rules, was an early
caller on Mr.. Crisp yesterday and remained
in the ex-Speaker's room during the after
noon. He has always been Mr. Crisp's
lieutenant upon the floor and his valued
adviser in private, so 1t was at once assumed
that he had been called into consultation
respecting the committee assignments and
the House rules.
Mr.. Catchings shares Mr.. Crisps views
respecting the length Of the special session.
Touching the rules. he feels that while
there is urgent necessity for the adoption
OF some rules for the government Of
the House very soon after the
House is called to order, there Is no pres
ent reason for any radical revision. Un-
der the old rules, when q majority really
desired to reach a vote upon a pending
question, the result could be attained
through special order or rule from the
Committee on Rules The practice, he
thought, had lost none Of It's efficiency and
was still available. II changes are TO be
made in the direction OF cloture they will
be made only after mature consideration
and an exhibition of the actual necessity
Of the case.
The members of the House now in
Washington are still in the dark as to the
date Of the Democratic House caucus
which is necessary to perfect a scheme of
organization Of the body.
The lists at the House Postoffice show
very few new arrivals of representatives
For this reason the contest for the House
offices lacks viriity and the various can
didates who have opened up headquarters
in true convention style have been rather
lonely
The warmest fight will be over the door
keepership. Mr.. Turner, the doorkeeper
Of the last House, is confident that he
will have no difficulty in securing re-
election. He says that he has already 10
members on his list Of absolutely reliable
votes. AS 1l6 votes constitute a majority
Of the Democratic caucus, his claim, il
we'll founded, would ensure his election.
He is confident Of the endorsement of the
New York delegation. This delegation 10
called to meet tonight but there is some
reason to doubt whether they will be able
to muster quorum.
Mr.. Fellows came over from New York
yesterday morning and spent half an hour
in consultation with Mr. Crisp, and re-
turned to his home In the afternoon. He
did not appear to be deeply interested in
the question fthe doorkeepership although
when pressed he said that Mr.. Turner
would doubtless receive the support Of the
New York men. Mr.. Turner'S two oppo-
nents, Hart, Of Tennessee, and Smith, Of
Texas, are pursuing q quiet canvass and
still express confidence Of success
1t Is impossible that there will be eau
Gus Of tie maj ajority Of the Senate this week.
Senator German, the chirman OF the Demo-
cratic caucus in the Senate, has taken up
his quarters at the Capital but he has not
yet given the issue Of call consideration.
1t will. Of course, he necessary for the
Democratic Senators to get together and
decide upon severasl quetions. The one
which will probably bs the first to engage
serious attention in the Senate, 10
the right Of admission Of the three Sena-
tors from the Northwest whose titles have
been challenged, hut Senator German feels
that there is no need for haste In the mat
ter and the caucus will probably not BE-
held before the middle Of next week.
Senator German, Sergeant Arms
Bright and Secretary Of the Senate Gen.
Cox, had q long conference In the after
noon at the Capitol and it u supposed the
subject Of the distribution Of patronage
under the two officers who take hold next
Monday was up for consideration The
gentlemen denied that there WAS any sig
nincance attached to their meeting and
when asked how soon the offices would be
distributed made reply to the effect that
the Senate was = body that moved slowly
and much depended upon its action. II
10 known, however, that all Republican
clerks aud officials who are absent from
the city have been advised not to return
until notified, as the Republicans had not
yet caucused and determined who they
wanted to remain ~ the representatives OF
the minority. There Is consequently much
unsasiness among the Republican officials
- to who will be retained ~ the favored
few.
Senator Mitchell, Of Oregon, after spend
ing three months among the people OF his
State, reached Washington yesterday. He
says that his people are divided them
selves as to what is the best thing to do on
the silver question.
"For one, l do not believe the Sherman
act is, by any means, the sole source of
the present financial difficulties in this
country. concede the way In which II has
been administered by the department,
which in my judgment is not according
to its spirit, has contributed in part to the
present financial depression, but believe
the real cause to be the apprehension un-
der which the industrial classes are labor
ing in reference to the probable action Of
the present administration on the subject
Of tariff. These are times, however, when
the real welfare Of the country should not
be sacrificed for the sake of mere partisan
advantage"
Poor Old Reading.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 2.-The receivers
of the Reading railroad company yester-
day, as was expected, failed to pay the in