The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-09-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
from our regular correspondent I
WASHINGTON, September, lst. 1898.


when he speaks, he received the undi
vided attention oil the Senate. While
strongly advocating the repeal OF the
purchasing clause of the law to which
his name has been given, he warned
his hearers that its repeal was not a
cure.all for the present situation, aud
that if the democrats attempted to alter
existing tariff laws they would plunge
the country into deeper distress than
than now exists. He also called atten-
ton to the fact, overlooked by some of
bis colleagues, that he was not new
convert, having year ago introduced a
bill almost identical with the Voorhees,
bill for the repeal OF the purchasing
clause of the silver lsw, now before the
Senate, and pertinently asked: "Why
did not the democratic Senators then
see the dangers they now see and come
to the help of the Republicans when
they sought to suspend the law? Not q
democratic vote was had then, and the
democrats must answer why? No dem.
ocratic Senator answered Senator Sher
mans question, although it might have
been done in FIVE words-a Presidential
election was pending
Some people claim that the passage OF
the Wilson bill for the unconditional
repeal of the purchasing clause of the
silver law by two thirds vote of the
House has simplified the situation in
the Senate, but your correspondent con-
fesses that he is unable, after the most
thorough investigation, to see any evil
dence of any effect in the Senate of the
action of the House. II is now claimed,
and no longer seriously disputed, that a
majority of the Senate as it now stands
with three vacancies-one each from
Montana, Washington and Wyoming
would vote for the unconditional repeal,
if the bill could be brought to vote
freed from any entanglements but no
man has yet suggested any reasonable
method for bringing bill to vote in
the Senate that is seriously and deter
minedly opposed by nearly one-half OF
the Senators. The federal election bill
was one of that kind.
Had Speaker Crisp been wiser man
he would have remained in his seat, in
stead of going on the floor of the House
and attempting to answer ex x.speaker
Reeds criticism OF the new Crisp rules
and defense of the rules of the Fifty first
Congress, and thus have escaped the
humiliation which always falls to the lot
of the Democrat who attempts to cross
oratorical swords with "Big Tom Reed"
that republican leader of the house.
Having in the new rules adopted the
spirit of the republican rules used in the
Fifty.6rst Congress, although the end
aimed at is to be reached in somewhat
roundabout way,it is not surprising that
Mr.. Reeds sarcastic questions as to why
the Republican rules had not been
openly adopted should have goaded
Speaker Crisp into making an exhibition
of himself. Like most democrats, Mr..
Crisp mistakes personal abuse of Mr..
Reed for arguments against the rules of
the House over which he presided. Mr..
Reed discussed the matter from public
point of view, declining to notice per.
sonal abuse of himself, and if Mr.. Crisp
did not feel ashamed of himself he must
be peculiarly constructed. The 'shoo
fly don't bother me" with which Ben
Butler once crushed "Sunset" Cox on
the floor of the House was recalled to
the old timers when in answer to an in.
terruption by Amos Cummings, Mr.. |
Reed asked sarcastically, as he strided
down the aisle towards where Cum.
mings sat, "Must you get in here? Oh (!
must you get in this?" The infection
in his voice making his meaning even
palmer than his words.
The democratic leaders in the House
appear to be acting entirely indepen.
dent of each other. While Senator Cor.
man was using his most persuasive
language in an executive session of the
Senate to bring about an agreement that
no other legislation than that reported |
from the Senate Finance committee |
should be taken up at the extra session
by the house Ways and Means COM
mittee, or rather the Democratic major.
ity thereof-the republicans on the
are not informed of anything
until it has been fully determined upon
was laying out the plan of new
tariff bill from which protection ia to be |
eliminated. Senator Hawley voiced |
the republican sentiment when he re.
piled to Senator Germans proposition
by saying that as the representative OF |
a state more largely devoted to manu-.
iacturing than any other interest he, de.
sired the Democratic tariff bill to be |
and announced as soon as pos.
,ible, in order that his constituents