Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-12-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
written and compiled for the HERALD

WASHINGTON LETTER.
written and compiled for the HERALD
WASHINGTON, Dec. Is, 1898 Con
gress, like the average boy, has got Christ
mas in its bones. There is scarcely a
quorum of the House in town today, and
long before Thursday, vixen the adjourn
ment is expected to take place, it will be
impossible to transact any important
business, because there will be no quorum.
If the resolution OF the Ways and Means
committee is carried out the new tariff
bill will be reported to the House to-
morrow, but even if 1t is reported 1t IS
now certain tina. the debate will not be
gin until January, when the internal
revenue bill will also be ready.
1t seems probable that the general de-
bate upon President Cleveland's special
message on Hawaii, and the accompany
ing documents, will also go over until
after the recess. The republicans have,
of course, had their minds made up from
the first and are prepared to begin the
debate, but the democrats wish to make
a careful study of the voluminous docu-
ments before beginning the defense OF
the administration policy that they are
expected to make.
The republicans of the House have
decided not to assist the democrats who
are opposed to various sections of the
tariff bill, in amending the bill. Their
reason is politics pure and simple. They
believe that failure to secure these amend
ments will result in making districts now
represented by democrat send republicans
to the next House.
Very few have been the adjourhments
of Congress for the Christmas recess
without rroviding at public expense a
pleasant trip for some of the Senators
and Representatives. This session is not
to be one Of the exceptions, unless Con-
gress refuses to pass the resolution re-
ported by the House committee Oh Com
merce, providing for the appointment oil
a select committee of three Senators and
six REPRESENTATIVES to witt and make a
personal inspection CT the work done on
the Nicaragua Canal, and report whether
the material and political affairs OF
Nicaragua and Costa Rica are such as to
endanper the interests of the canal. So
far as practical results are concerned a
Congressional committee would do as
well ifauthorlzed to visit the planet Mars
and make a report upon It's canal system
Silver, first, last and all the time, is the
corner stone of the platform adopted by
the secret conference OF the Executive
committee of the Bi-metallic League just
held at the League headquarters in this
city. The League proposes to 90 into
every Congressional district where there
is the remotest chance of electing a silver
man and to SUI port only those candidates
who pledge themselves not to enter any
party caucus on financial matters or for
the nomination of Speaker, if elected to
Congress. If the League programme lie
carried out there will be a silver man
nominated for Speaker of the next House
and if the sentiment of the Districts have
been correctly represented and the ALI
ance with the labor organizations shall
b e faithfully carried ont, be will stand a
good chance Of being elected
Sena'o or Voorhees, seems to have pleased
nobody with his financial bill, which
provides for the coinage of the seignior-
age now in the Treasury at the rate OF
s., GOO, 900 a month and that after it shall
have all been coined s., 100000 worth of
silver bullion shall be purchased and
coined each north. ii he had confined
it to authorizing the coinage of the
seigniorage now in the Treasury, Secre-
tary Carlisle would have supported 1t but
he will not support 1t now because OF the
silver purchasing clause The silver men
are outspoken in their opposition to the
bill, and if any body, except Mr, Voor'
bees, favors it he has kept it very quiet.
There has boen some very interesting
gossip floating around concerning the
reason for the rapldity with which the
House has passed the bills for the admis-
sion of Utah, Arizona aud New Mexico
as states. According to this gossip an
attempt is to be made to get the bills
through the Senate as promptly as they
went through the House, in order that
the Senators frem the new states may get
here before the Senate reaches a final
vote on the new tariff bill, the idea of the
administration and of the democratic
leaders being that whatever the politics
of the new Senators they will certainly
be low tariff men and as such will vote
for the bill. give you the gossip for
what it Is worth. 1t is believed that a
majority of the Senators would, if given
an opportunity, vote for the admission OF
all the territories. including Oklahoma,
but they may cot get the chance. There
are some influential Eastern Senator
who are opposed to the admission of any
Of them, and there are indications OF
much religious opposition to the admis-
sion Of Utah; These things may result in
preventing action on the bills in the
Senate.