Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-10-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
c1A1 CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MONITOR
Wasltdngton, Oct. %, 1888.

steering committee, Wn1cn mas peeH
in labor for these many days and
nights, greatly to the profit OF certain
yender of liquid refreshments, has
brought forth the mouse, in the shape
of a compromise silver bill. 1t is IN
derstood that the birth would never
have taken place if the skill OF mid
wives Cleveland and Carlisle had not
been made available. The baby is
certainly not one that anybody has
any reason to be proud Of. 1t is lame,
halt and blind, and can certainly new
er grow into anything useful or bene-
fetal. either to its progenitors or to
the country.
The compromise bill, to get down
to straight forward English, provides
that the repeal of the purchasing
clause of the silver law shall take eff
feet Oct. /, 1894, and that the silver
purchase and the seigniorage now IN
the Treasury and to accrue from fu-
ture purchases shall from time to
time be coined chat is certainly in
definite enough to make future troub-
LEI and that all greenbaclSs and treas
ury notes under SO, shall be retired
and silver certificates or silver dol
lars (more indefniteness) shall take
their place. That is all. Not a word
about issuing bonds Or any other
method Of increasing the rapidly dim
ishing gold reserve, which now
amounts to only $81, coo, 900. This is
the compromise that Mr.. Cleveland
has promised to sign, il it can be pass
ed, and which the steering committee
are compelling democratic Senators
to pledge themselves in writing TO
support. This is the sum total of
democratic financial ability. It will
REQUIRE the full democratic support TO
pass this compromise, as it is not ex-
pected that republican Senators will
vote for it and the populist Senators
are up in arms against it. While the
republicans viii probably not vote for
the compromise, they will not be
likely TO do anything to prevent a
vote being taken. II the democrats
can stand this measure the republi-
cans certainly can.
The ink should at least be allowed TO
get dry upon announcements Of dem
ocratic retrenchment and reform be-
fore the alleged reforms are discarded
by the democratic administration.
The other day notice was served upon
the republican who was executive Of
fcer of the q. s. Geological Survey
that Secretary Hoke Smith had come
to the conclusion that the Office was 8
sinecure and had abolished it, and it
was duly telegaphed TO all the demo
cratic papers that q $4,000 sinecure
had been abolished by the admins
tration. Now comes the sequel, which
will not be SO widely circulated by
the democratic press. 1t was the re-
publican who held the alleged sine
cure, who was abolished; the s1necure
was left il order that it might be Civ
en- TO Texas democrat, endorsed by
Senator Mills, who now practically
controls ali federal appointments
from or in that state. 50 there was
neither reform nor retcenchmen6 il
this move, which was just q plain
spoi1sman's change-a democrat il
place of q republican but it illustIa-
tes very st1.ikingly one Of the leading
characteristics Of the present admin
istration.
Considerable surprise has been ex-
pressed by republicans that ten re-
publican Senators should have voted
to conform the nomination Of Van
Allen to be Ambassador to Italy, when
by casting their votes against him
they could have defeated the noGnina
ton, which pulled through on q vote
of 80 to p. The republicans who
voted to conform the nomination
were Cameron and Quay Of Pa; Al
drich and Dixon of r. l.; Davis Of
Mimi; Frye of Me-; Higgins of Del;
Jones Of New; Mcmillan of Mich;
and Wolcott of Col, and democrats
who voted against the confirmation
were Hill OF II. Y; Martin Of Kans.;
Irby OF S. G. and Vance Of II. G. The
populists with the exception Of Stew
art of Nev.-classed by others, but
not by himself as a populist-voted
against the confirmation.
The War Department furnishes an
interesting problem for the students
of such things. Gen. Grant, "a staunch
Minnesota republican, is practically
in charge of the department, having
remained in the position of Assistant
Secretary which he held under the
Harrison administration, and which
he seems likely to continue to hold as
long as he is willing. Inasmuch as