The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-03-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Mar. 18th 1898.

WASHINGTON, Mar. 18th 1893.
Senator German, who was chairman
of the caucus committee that made
the Senate committee assignments, and
therefore in a position to know where
of he speaks, SAID, l am reliably in
formed, to a personal friend "There
has been a lot of nonsense talked and
printed about the positions upon the
prominent Senate committees having
been purposely arranged by the eau
Gus committee SO as to be aDtagOnls-
tic to the President. There is abso-
lutely no foundation for any such
statements. The assignments of the
old Senators were made according TO
the well-known presidents which
have governed such assignments ever
since [ have been a member OF the
Senate, and for many years before,
and of the new one according to the
best Judgment of the committee" AL
though Senator German did not in
tend his remarks for publication, it is
but justice to him and the members OF
the committee that they should be
made public. This caucus committee
had no authority to say that this or
that democratic Senator should not
have committee positions to which
they were entitled by seniority, be-
cause of their views upon this or that
question, and had it attempted such IA
thing its work would have been repn-
dated by the caucus, which had to
approve its report before it went into
effect. 1t is only in republican pa
pers that there is any antagonlsm be-
tween President Cleveland and the
democratic Senators. No admlnlstra-
ton ever assumed office Will, il more
harmonious party at its back than the
present, and neither the President nor
my prominent democrat in Congress
expects or sees any indication of any
thing to disturb the present pleasant
relations between the President and
the party, in and out of Congress.
Statements to the contrary. if run
down, will be found in every case to
have originated either with a republic
can Or a journalistic sensation mon
ger.
Certainly no one can raise any rea-
sonable objection to the rule madesby
President Cleveland that no person
should be SEN as L. S. consul to an
important commercial place who is
not a thorough business man. 1t will
not be necessary to 60 outside the
democratic party to find capable bust
ness men to NIL the consulshIp main
rained by the Government.
Democrats should be extremely
careful about accepting as true state
ments concerning the intentions of
President Cleveland which appear in
republican papers. A little consider
alton will convince them of the i'm
probability Of republican editors and
correspondents being taken into the
confidence of Mr.. Cleveland. A case
in point vas the sending broadcast by
republican correspondents, a few days
ago, of the positive statement that Mr..
Cleveland had said that democratic
editors need cot apply for Office, as he
had made up his mud not to appoint
them. Now, Nj. Cleveland never said
any such thing, and the nearest ap-
proach to q foundation the story had
was the Presidents jocular remark to
a Congressman that editors must take
their chances with other applicants.
In order TO impress the falsity of this
statement upon democrats Mr.. Cleve-
land took especial care that the first
nomination of a postmaster vent to
the Senate BY him should be that of a
democratic editor-Mr. Robert B,
Brown, Of Meadville, Pa.
If there had been any doubt of the
wisdom Of sending a commission TO
Hawaii, which has been done by the
administration, it would have been
dissipated BY the talk of the Hawaii
Commissioners after they learned that
a commission would be sent to make
an investigation. 1t is evident that
they fear tho result of that investlga.
ton; consequently the suspicion which
has existed for some time in the minds
OF a few people, that the whole bust
ness has been conducted upon a one.
sided bssis, is increasing very rapidly.
Honest and straightforward people
never object to the most rigid inyes-
tlgation Of their acts. 1t is ALWAYS
n other sort Of fellow who draws
himself up and asks: "Do you mean to
cast aspersiOns upon my honor, sir ~
President Cleveland only wants what
the people want, about this Hawaiian
business-the whole truth. and nothing
but the truth, and ex-CongressmaH
Blount is the man to get it.
The best evidence of the confidence
OF the BUSINESS men of the country in
the democratic administration is fur
nished by the steady increase of geld
IN the Treasury which began with the
swearing in of democratic officials and
has continued right along ever since