Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-10-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
I.rac.AL oonRgsrosDEscr OF THE MONITOR
Washington Oct. 10, 1898.

members of the Senate are at this
writing. This distraction has existed
more or less from the first day of the
extra session, but the absurd ending
of the test Of physical endurance or
dered by Mr.. Cleveland in his child
like belief that vote on the Voor-
hees unconditional repeal bill could
thereby be forced has made it worse
than ever. The distraction has also
apparently reached the administra
ton, which is beginning to wabble in
a very suspicious manner. While
Mr. Cleveland shouts in the ear OF
Senators VOORHEES,, "Keep up the fight
for unconditional repeal" Secretary
Carlisle prepares compromise meas
ure which he has shown to several
Senators and told them that the Pres
ident would approve it if he could do
no better. This compromise, which
may at any hour be formally offered
as an amendment to the Voorhees,
bill, or may not be offered at all, is a
last and desperate attempt of the adj
ministration to have say in fnan-
cial legislation. 1t provides for the
purchase Of 1000, 900 ounces of silver
during the next four years; for the
for the coinage of seigniorage now in
the Treasury, and for authority for
the Secretary Of the Treasury, at his
discretion, to issue bonds to the
amount of $3.50, 600, 900 to strengthen
the gold reserve fund. 1t is not be-
ieved that single republican Sena-
tor will support this compromise, un-
less the clause repeating the state
bank tax be struck out. There is an
other compromise measure under
consideration which finds consider
able support because it would, if en-
acted into q law, give the people a
chance to pass upon that portion of
it dealing with silver few months
before it goes into effect. 1t provid-
es for the repeal of the purchasing
clause of the silver law to take effect
July 1, 1895; for the coinage of the
seigniorage in the Treasury; for the
retirement of all notes other than
coin certificates below $40, and that
issued. It also amends the present
law for the issue iof bonds so as to
limit the time for which any bonds is
sued may run to five years and the
interest to three per cent. Of the
two the last is unquestionab1y the
best.
The democratic Senators were con-
siderably alarmed on Saturday by a
rumor that the republican Senators
were tired of doing nothing and in
tended to go home, leaving them to
maintain a quorum or to adjourn.
Careful inquiry among the repubi-
cans proved the rumor to be without
foundation further than that they are
tired Of doing nothing.
The democratic members OF the
House, Ways and Means committee
meet several time a week in a room
way down in the crypt Of the Capitol
and spend several hours. 1t is alleg-
ed that this time is being put in on the
preparation Of the new tariff bill, but
this is not certain, as there are
numerous good reasons for the belief
that the members of this committee
will have little or nothing to do with
the preparation of the tariff bill
which will at some time in the future
be produced as their work, but will in
reality be the work of men under the
immediate personal direction of Mr..
Cleveland.
''I have no doubt that the bill is
dead. Tt never was really alive"
Such was Vice President Stevenson's
summary of the situation when the
continuous session Of the Senate came
to such an inglorious end at o'clock,
Friday morning. Senator HIPS face
wore a smile as he left the chamber
with the remark, tEThis does not seem
to be Cleveland year" This is the
kind of sympathy that the president
of the United States is getting from
the prominent men in his own party
in the defeat of his pet measure.
Meanwhile Mr.. Cleveland is said to be
very angry and irritated and to have
declared that he has been betrayed
by his party and his friends. 1t all
makes very pretty row and republi
cans will curiously watch the next
move of the disorganized and discor-
dant democracy.
A corporation has been formed at
Chicago for the purpose Of purchasing
and removing the Worlds Fair build