San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-01-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan 2, 1898.

|
nois, is usually what might be called
! q mild hammered sort of a man, but
| his ire can be aroused : in fact 1t has
| been aroused, and he 10 now as angry
| a fellow as any one would care to see.
He has been "skunked" in the game
of politics, and he believes that D.
"cold deck" was used against him.
| Springer Is ambitious-those who do
do not admire him, say far beyond,
his abilities. Be that as it may, every
body in congress knows thst springer
| Ia am bilious. 1t will not be forgotten
that he was q candidate before the
| democratic caucus of the present
House for Speaker, and that at an OPP.
| perfume moment he threw the few
votes he controlled to Crisp, and the
| result was Crisp's nomination and
| election. Another result that Crisp
was so grateful that he made Sprin-
| ger chairman of what Is always when
| In competent hands the most promi-
nent rs well rs Important committee
| of the House, Ways-and Means not-
| withstanding earnest protests against
| such action from democrats who had
years ago sized up Springer's brain
| power.
AS CDblTIIlSn Vi Vie ways ohu
| means committee Mr.. Springer has
not only made q failure, but he has
made himself the laughing stock of
q majority of his own party In con-
gress by his "pop.gun" tariff bills,
| which were reported from his com>
miutee and passed by the house at
| the last session. But that was not
plain to him, for he recently au-
| nounced himself as favoring the
| Cleveland tariff programme-what-
ever that may be--and was ipstru-
mental in securing pledges from dem-
ocratic members OF the next house to
vote for the re- election of speaker
| Crisp, which be fondly hoped would
give him n "lesd pipe cinch" on the
chsirmanship of the ways and means
committee of the next house, posi-
tior which promises to give it's holder
much notoriety, If no actual fame,
during the life of the fifty-third con-
gress.
| Whan Speaker Crisp returned
| from that much talked of conference
with the president-elect, with the
| Cleveland trademark stamped all
over him, things began to get so Slip
perry under MIR. Sprlnger's feet that
he wondered WHY some inventive
genius had never put political ice
creepers on the market, and ever
while he was wildly waving his arms
in an attempt to keep his balance
both feet went out from under him,
and he saw 1t written among the stars
that his scalp had been demanded
by Mr.. Cleveland and promised
by Mr.. Crisp, and then he July
realized that the tariff bill
to be prepared perhaps approved"
is the proper word; it certainly will
be il it turns out TO be true, as now
reported, that Mr.. Cleveland will
have that measure prepared under
mis- own personal supervision-by the
waps and means committee OF the
next house, will not bear the name VI
Springer.
Mistortunes never come singly.
While Springer was meditating on
the suddenness Of his fall and the
vanity of ambition he was informed
that the man ne hates above all others
| Hon. w. r. Murrison-had been en-
dorsed by the entire Illinois delegs-
ton, himself excepted, tor seat In
Mr.. Cleveland's cabinet. Now you
know why Springer Is the maddest
man in Congress. He still wears
buttonhole boquet, hut the expansive
smile which has erstwbile the most
prominent feature of his face has van
ished, perhaps forever, and he has the
| look of q man who Is working his
nerves up to the point of doing suWe-
thing desperate.
| New YEARS. day has usually been
| the most brilliant of the year in
Washington, but this year is an ex-
ception. The first day of the year
falling on Sunday, today is observed
as the holiday, but the gorgeous re-
ception at the White House, with all
of the diplomatic corps in the full
court costume of their native coun-
tries, all of the. army, navy and
marine officers in full dress uniform
and the officials of the executive, judi
| cial and legislative departments OF the
! government, is sadly a-~'oeed. Instead
| az being the scene of this bright pa
geant the White House is in quaran-
tine, because sof the case of scarlet
| fever with which the presidents
| granddaughter is confined TO her
bed There are no official receptions
being held, and the number of private
receptions is very much smaller than
usual, as many of our most promi-
nent people omitted then as an evil
dence OF their sympathy for the pres
ident and his family
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