San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-11-30
WASHINGTON LETTER
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Nov. 27, 1898.

combine in his own person, the
functions of both the legislative
and executive branches of the gov
eminent, was never more plainly
shown than by the new tariff bill,
which is a far more radical meas
ure than it was generally expected
to be. Mr.. Cleveland has actually
compelled Democratic members of
the House Ways and Means COM
mittee to vote to put articles on
the free list, against the protest Of
their Democratic constituents, and
with the full knowledge that such
action would bring want to many
people in their districts and
states. This may seem a strong
assertion, but it is not eX-
aggerated in the slightest degree.
How has Mr.. Cleveland obtained
sufficient control over Democratic
members of the House to compel
them to vote away the welfare of
their friends and constituents?
The answer is easy. He has done
it by the use of patronage and
promises; he has given them petty
offices for their personal followers,
and has promised them that if they
fail to get renOminated and elected
to the Fifty-fourth Congress he
will provide for them personally
Chairman Wilson, of the COM
mittee on Ways and Means, who
has betrayed two Of the greatest
industries of West Virginia, by al
lowing coal and iron ore to be
placed on the free list, is under
stood to have been promised life
time position on the bench of the
| United States Circuit or District
court as a reward for his treachery
to the interests of his state and
people. The same policy is to be
carried out to get votes for the
Cleveland tariff bill-it is misno-
mer to call it by anybody else's
name-in the House, and will pro-
ably succeed as well as with the
committee.
But when it comes to the Sen
ate those tactics will not necossa-
rily succeed. The average senator
is always more Independent than
member Of the House. His term
is six years and, if / . has lately
been elected, will extend beyond
that of the president, so that he
does not feel that he has any need
of being "taken care Of" by the ad.
ministration in case his action or
vote is unsatisfactory to his con-
stituents. There is not the slight
est expectation that the Sen
ate Will pass the tariff bill as it
is now, even if Mr.. ClevelauI sue
ceeds in his announced intention
to railroad it through the House,
although, looking at the matter
from purely political standpoint,
it would be the best thing that
could happen for the Republican
party for it to become law just as
it now is, but it would be great
hardship on the wage earners OF
the country; consequently Repub-
licans will try to defeat it, or in
any event to have it amended in
many respects.
Among the long list of articles
placed on the free list by the new
bill are the following: wool, iron
ore, coal, pig tin, hemp, flax, jute,
silver lead ore, copper, salt, crude
boraX, binding Irvine, cotton ties,
and lumber not advanced in prepa-
ration beyond saving. The cut on
articles left on the dutiable list is
deep and will probably average
somewhere about forty per cent.
No news is expected from Ha-
wall, unless it be secured by spe-
cial steamer sent by some enter
prising newspaper, before Decem-
Der IL. The administration would
very gladly crawl out Of the uE.
pleasant hole in which it finds it.
self, but as it cannot, its members
pretend an Indifference they are
far from feeling. Secretary Ores
ham is trying to sneak cut by tell
ing his personal friends that Mr..
Cleveland had determined to re-
store the queen before he was
sworn in and that Blount's
instructions were prepared in
the White House and given to
him by Mr.. Cleveland, and
that he (Gresham) had nothing
whatever to do with shaping the
Hawaiian policy. But even while
trying to do the sneak act he has
proven his completely in what will
be regarded by posterity as one of
the most dastardly state crimes
in American history by ransacking