Milford chronicle., 1893-12-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, December II, 1893.
"Unless am very much mistaken that
man has all the symtoms of softenine of the
brain" The man who spoke those words
was one Of the few administration Senators,
and he was referring to Mr. Cleveland whom
he had just seen. Whether the Senator was
right in his diagnosis your correspondent
does not pretend to say, but it is becoming
evident that Mr. Clevelands friends think
there is something the matter with him.
His actions have of late certainly been queer.
He is impatient, cross and almost insulting
to the few Senators and Representatives he
coudescends TO see at all, aud when they
afterwards get together and compare notes
they find that he is changable and inconsist-
ant as we'll. Every discriminating person
who has taken the trouble to compare the
style of the literary work upon his annual
messages during his first administration
must have discovered a great difference in
them. This may, Of course, be largely owing
to the fact that Dan Lamont finds the duties
of Deputy PresideHt so exacting that he has
executive documents. Be that as it may,
Mr.. Cleveland's friends-he sees no one else,
except in a public way-are certainly show
ing among themselves uneasiness about
his mental condition.
The Democrats in the House are acting
more like lot of badly demoralized school
boys than statesmen. They promised that
the new Tariff Bill should be reported to the
House on the first day of the session, and
the bill has not yet been reported, although
Mr. Wilson promises that it shall be this
week. The Democrats of the Ways aud
Means committee have already made dozens
of minor changes in the Tariff Bill, thus ac-
knowledgiug that it was not properly con-
sidered before it was made public. They
are now squabbling among themselves about
submitting the bill to a caucus before it is
and Democrats are openly saying
that they will not vote the bill unless Ger
tam industries in their districts are protected.
The House Committe on banking and cur
rency, which has been wrestling with that
plank of the Chicago platform, which prom
ised the repeal Of the tax on state bank cur
reucy, plans, by the way, that Mr.. Cleve-
land absolutely ignored in his messsge, has
arrived at no conclusion, although its chair
man-the much sat upon Springer, of Ill
iuois.- has made public a hodge-podge of
absurdities that could not possibly be car
-ied into effect, even if they were enacted,
showing what alleged progress the com.
mittee has made.
The Democratic members of the Ways and
Means comittee are at daggers points con-
,erning the items thai are to be included in
he internal revenue bill, which ought to
iave been ready simultaneously with the
Tariff Bill. A majority of them
avor a personal income tax, but they hesi-
ate about incorporating it in the bill be-
,ause of Mr.. Cleveland's premature an
in his message, that the COM
nittee had agreed to tax the profits of cor
,oratious only. Meanwhile the holiday re.
,ess is in sight and nothing has been accomP-
ished.
In obedience to the demand Of the Senate
esolution passed last week all the Hawaiian
documents will this week be sent to the Sen
tie.
Like master like man." Secretary Carl
sic has refused the request made by officials
# the G. A. r. that they be allowed to solic-
t contributions in the Treasury for Christ
mas dinner to INDECENT soldiers of this de.
,artment
The southern war claimeuts will have
nap if the bill which has been favorably re-
,orted from the Judiciary committee of the
House ever becomes a law. The bill pro-
-ides for the repeal of all laws making per-
onal disloyalty bar against the govern
nent for property destroyed during the re
,ellion. and gives all claimants whose cases !
we're by reason of their disloYalty thrown /
,ut of the Court of Claims the right to revive |
heir claims and to have the same rights and |
,rivileges in prosecuting them that would |
,e extended to the man who vas always |
oyal to the government. Any person could 4
the jobbery in this bill, even if
he southern lobby, headed by ex-Congress-
nan Hemphill, of South Carolina, was less
ouspicuous in its advocacy. That 'there
re millions in it, "if it can be made law, is
pparent 10 all. Democratic iefom will
ONE high, but it will not last long,
The Democrats from the South voted
lmnst solidly against the bankruptcy bill
,hich was last week defeated in the House.
t remains to be seen how they will treat
he voluntary bankruptcy bill fathered by
Bailey, of Texas, which that
entleman will endeavor to push to the
-ont this week.