The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1893-07-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Runners are flying thick and FAST Of
an intention on the part Of the free
coinage democrats to bolt the demo-
cratic caucus and vote the republican
caucus nominee for speaker, in order
to defeat the administration program,
[, which includes the reelection OF
Speaker Crisp. The new house will
have a total membership of S56, If
whom 12S, are republicans and 13 popu-
lists. Should 80 of the 215 democrats
bolt the democratic caucus it wouli be
possible to defeat Crisp. but while Il
is possible, no we'll informed person
considers 1t probable. It is more likely
that these rumors are started for the
purpose of obtaining concessions to the
democratic silver men in the makeup
of the house committees through the
| fear of Crisp and the administration
| that such combination might be
made. While the republicans could not
prevent the populists and bolting dem
ocrats voting for their nominee for
/ speaker il they wished to do so, they
do not as a rule regard the election of
republican speaker under such cir
cumstances as a very desirable thing.
Two members of the cabinet will take
their vacation at government expense.
Sec, Herbert, who has just returned
from the Worlds Fair. will this week
start upon what he is pleased to call
an inspection of the eastern navy
yards. He will go on the Dolphin and
the trip will be along the Atlantic
coast as far east as Maine. Sec., Hoke
Smith goes Herbert several better, as
he, in company with his wife and three
children, his father and mother, two
nieces and three invited guests, is now
on western inspection tour, in a pri-
vate car, and will take in the Worlds
Fair and other points Of interest along
the route Great is the inspection
tour" particularly when it is manipu-
lated by so-called reform administra-
ton. Democratic editors use to call
such trips pleasure junkets."
In addition to his efforts to reduce
the pension roll, through the various
methods already widely published,
Commissioner Lochren has been di-
rected by the president, according to
information from a trustworthy source,
to prepare a number of bills to be in
troduced in congress, which would drop
a large number of pensioners should
they become law. The intention is to
put forward the most harmless Of
these bills first as congressional pulse
feelers, the others to follow in regular
order if congress appears to be in ac-
cord with the administration, or to be
laid aside until more propitious time
should the contrary prove to be true.
Representative Holman is not in ac-
cord with the administration on the
pension question, Notwithstanding his
general fondness for economy. He is
reported to have said the other day
that If the pension program which has
been drawn up by Mr.. Cleveland and
Sec. Hoke Smith be carried out the
republicans would have a majority of
at least fifty in the house of the fifty
fourth congress, the members of which
will be elected next year.
By the death Of Justice Blatchford
Mr.. Cleveland gets an altogether un-
expected Chat is, unexpected until
about two weeks ago. plum to dispose
of where it will do the most good to
Clevelandism. Sec, Carlisle would very
willingly give up the cares and respon-
sibilities of the head of the treasury
for a lifetime berth on the bench of
the United States Supreme Court
1t was said at the time that Mr.. Car
Isle was hesitating about becoming a
member of the cabinet that he was
promised a Seat on the bench of the
Supreme Court before the end Of the
administration, but even granting kthat
promise to have been made it does not
necessarily follow that he will get this
vacancy. Sec, Gresham was reported
to have received a similar promise.
There was delay of four days in
the issue of the last weekly Patent Of
flee Gazette, owing to the contract for
printing it having in the interest Of
democratic economy been taken away
from a concern which has the facilities
for getting it out properly. and giving
it to one that lacks them. The same
experiment was made in the early days
qf the first Cleveland administration,
and had to be abandoned because Of
the delay and bad work.
Mr.. Cleveland's health is again a
leading topic Of conversation. That 1t
has not been entirely good has for
some time been apparent to those who
have come into close contact with him
and that his physician has forbidden
his doing any work for the present is
known here, but it is generally thought
to be nothing more serious than over
work, caused by his queer habit OF
spending hours over routine work that
might just as easily be performed by
one of the clerks at the White House.
A doctor who knows him sums up his
case thus: "Oh, Cleveland is just like
most fat men; he is a slave to his
stomach, and every once in a while
it brings him to his knees. If he does
not learn to control it, it will eventually
kill him, just as other fat men are be-