Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-10-06
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
The PRESIDENT NEEDS NO DE-
TENSE.

Tiffs between Senatorial Supgest.
ed Compromise of the rac,tons-
Absentees 10 be Reported 10 Their
INSTRUMENTATION of the
Van Allen appointment.
From our Regular Correspondence
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 1893.
Senators Voorhees,, German and
Palmer, at different times this week
took occasion to defend President
Cleveland from the newspaper charge.
which Senator Stewart mistakenly
dignitied by reading in the Senate, of
attempting by the use OF patronage to
control the legislative branch of the
government. Of course everybody in
Washington knows AS we'll as these
three Senators do that President
Cleveland needs no defense, but there
may be people elsewhere who are liable
to be misled by constant reiteration of
the charge. When Senator Palmer
told Senator Stewart that if he would
name one Senator who had been con-
trolled by the President through pat.
ronage he would gladly join him in
getting resolution passed providing
for an investigation, Senator Stewart
did not name Senator. Why? Sim
ply because he knew of none. Senator
Germans few remarks on the subject
covered the case fully. He said: a
am not the mouthpiece of the Presi-
dent. His patronage know nothing
of or care nothing for. l neither have
it nor want it. No President has ever
been SO careful to avoid the appear
ance of distributing patronage for his
own ends. He has scarcely done his
party justice"
Everybody has heard of that fire.
quently mentioned article "Senato-
rial cOurtesy"-but with all due re-
spect to the eminent and dignifed
gentlemen who compose the U. S.
Senate it must be said that " Senate
rial discourtesy" more truly applies to
the numerous 6" tits" between Senators
which have been such feature of the
debate this week. Space forbids their
enumeration, but one specimen will
give general idea of all of them.
Senator Wolcott referred to Senators
German and Aldrich as steerers OF the
Senators who favor the Voorhees, re-
peal bill, and told of their having de-
cided to begin next week holding
twelve-hour sessions of the Senate.
Senator German in reply said: "This
is the first time that have ever known
a Senator or his agents to listen at the
committee room doors to tell the
Senate OF the private conference OF
Senators on any subject whatever"
The ultimate fate of the Voorhees,
bill is still very much in doubt. Clo-
ture is a two-edged weapon, and al
though its present adoption would be
of great benefit to the Democratic
party it is not probable that Senator
Platt's resolution will even be reported
back from the Committee on Rules,
to which it was referred, and without
clotuie there is small probability that
the bill will ever be voted upon with
out the consent of its opponents. |
Can that consent be obtained? That |
is question that only the future can |
answer, but Senators have confidence |
that it will be obtsined through a
movement now on foot among Demo.
cratic Senators who favor the bill.
This movement contemplates getting
the consent of the opponents of the
bill to the taking of a vote in exchange
for the promise of enough votes to
make the passage of silver bill,
something on the order of Senator
Faulkners proposed amendment to the
Voorhees, bill, a certainty Immediately
after the Voorhees, bill is passed.
The House began its debate on the
Tucker bill for the repeal of the Fed
eral election laws according to pro-
gramme, and so far it has been con-
Quoted upon Constitutional grounds,
although it may get down to partizan-
ship any hour. Although it will not
alter or postpone the result, the order
under which the House is acting
October 9th the last day OF
the debate, the absence Of quorum
OF Democrats at times is enough to
aggravate the party leaders and to
justify the adoption Of proposition
which has been made, to keep a record
OF the absentees and to see that their
constituents are informed through the
party papers in their districts of every
days absence without leave. This
would be troublesome to the Congress
men, but just to their constituents.
The House Committee on Banking
and Currency after mature delibera-
ton decided that more information
should be obtained by the committee
before it reported any financial bill to
the House. In accordance with that
decision the committee has given Rep.
resentative Oates hearing on his bill
for the repeal OF the tax on State bank
currency and has listened to an argu.
ment by Representative McLaurin in
favor of his proposition to issue $685.
OOO,OO0 in greenbacks to increase the
currency in circulation. The chair
man OF the committee has been re-
quested to obtain as much informa-
ton as possible from the various State
governments on the subject of State
banks.
The sensational statements concern
ing the nomination Of Mr.. J. J. Van
Allen to be Ambassador to Italy will
doubtless be investigated by the Sen.
ate Committee on Foreign Relations
before his nominatian is acted upon.
No one believes that either President
Cleveland or ex-Secretary Whitney was
was party to any promise made to
give Mr.. Van Allen this position be-
cause OF his having made a large cam
paign contribution, and an investiga.
ton will probably show that no such
promise was made by ANYBODY.
DEN.
Northern Pacific Fast Time.