Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-10-09
FREELAND, PA, OCTOBER 9, 1898
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, October 6, IS

washington, october d, 1873.
President Clevelands motive in hay
ing all his callers state the nature of
their business to his private secretary
before being admitted to his private Of
flee has been SO grossly misrepresented
that | present the facts, which follows:
So much of the presidents time has
been occupied in listening to congress-
men and other prominent Democrats for
offices for their friends that he has
found it necessary to stay up the greater
portion of nearly every night in order to
perform his more important duties. In
order to put stop to this he determined
to place the duty of choosing all officials
upon the members of his cabinet, he ac-
cepting their recommendation as final,
and in order to save his own time, as
well as that of his callers, those who call
at the White House are required to state
the nature of their business to Private
Secretary Thurber. If it be about an
appointment the new rule is explained
and they are referred to the member of
the cabinet who has jurisdiction of the
Office wanted; if about public business
they are at once taken to the president.
The change is popular with congressman
and will strike most people as being a
sensible one.
The most notable incidents of the sill
yer debate in the senate this week were
the appeals made by Senators Butler, of
South Carolina, and Blackburn, of Ken
lucky, to the senate to end the contro-
versy by compromise. Although COM
promise has been talked about privately
by senators this is the first time that it
has been publicly advocated on the floor
of the senate. Senator Voorhees, still
stands out against compromise and in,
sists that the bill for unconditional re-
peal can be passed. Predictions are
freely made that the question will be
disposed of next week, but the same sort
Of predictions have been made before
and it still remains undisposed Of The
senate is having more or less difficulty
now in keeping quorum, and if some
agreement is not soon reached on this
silver question it is doubtful whether a
quorum can be kept here. The senators
are tired of the debate, and there is no
way to force vote.
How much truth there is in the talk
among Republicans about the Demo
cratic members of the house committee
on ways and means being afraid to
attack protection may be inferred from
the following remarks made by a Demo
cratic member of the committee: "The
new tariff bill will be framed on the
lines laid down by the Chicago platform,
even if it results in the defeat at the
polls of every Democratic member of the
committee. We shall hew close to the
line and you can rest assured that no
matter what else is done it will be found
that the tariff bill when it is reported
will be completely in accord with the
Democratic platform. The Republicans
who are trying to create contrary i'm
preston are doing foolish thing. 1t is
much better that the country should
know at once that the high protective
duties of the Mckinley law will be en-
tirely wiped out by the new law"
The Republicans have allowed the de-
bate in the house on the bill for the re-
peal of the federal election laws to 60
by default, keeping more or less quiet
by order of Boss Reed. S.