Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-08-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
written and compiled for the HERALD


WASHINGTON, Aug. 81, 1s93.-At high |
noon today the F lift, Third Congress be-
Oan ITS legislative existence with perhaps
three-quarters of it's members in Wash
incton. The beginning was quiet enough,
Vice President Stevenson presiding over
the Senate, and Clerk Kerr oyer the
House until the meh bsrs had sworn IN
and Speaker Crisp aud the other officials
were formally elected, but it will be ex-
citing enough for the most exacting be-
fore long. The elements are all here to
make excitement and nothing can keep it
down for any length of time. When it
will begin no man can say and it
would be oven more difficult to say when
it will end.
The Senate had a short and unimpor-
tsnt session today, and the impression
seems to be that thai body will, as usual
at the beginning of session, take 1T easy
for while, killing time over the cases of
the Senators whose seats are contested,
thus giving the House an opportunity to
take the initiative ia legislation, unless In
the meantime President Cleveland sends
10 the special message which 1t Is known
he intends sending the Senate with new
Hawaiian treaty. That may stir up con-
siderable turmoil. or, it may fall fat, ac-
cOrding to its nature.
The House can do nothing important
until Speaker Crisp announces the con-
mittees, and that may be in week or II
may be two weeks, jlst as the members
whose prominence gives item certain
privileges may lie sati, fed or dissatisfied
with their committee assignments, be-
cause, az ough bills can lie introduced
none of them can be referred until the
committees are organized.
No one was disappointed because Presi'
dent Cleyeland's message did not 60 to
Congress today. because no one expected
tn at it ould be sent until Tuesday, and
there is possibility that it may not &c
in until Wedn esday.
The silver meu have been counting
n ose. and the result is an unquestionablt
stitching OF thei; bsckb ,u-s. They now
saw that it will be impossible to lass
bill for the unconditional repeal of The
Sherman law, even 10y the House, wLi'l
thew have heretofore been inclined to con
cede to the anti-silyerites. At the same
time thew admit their own inability Il
pass such legislation as they would pre-
for, bat sly that in the compromise thai
must be made they, and not Mr. Cleve
land. will dictate the terms. Just what
those terms will be is not yet certain, but
il begins to look as though it would be al
increase in the ratio of l6 to which nov
! prevails, notwithstanding the declaration
! of Mr. Bland and other prominent siive
men including the entire populist delega'
ton that they intend to stand by th'
, present ratio.
Some say that the increase will be t.
, 30. aud others that 1t will be as high al
"a to l, and mauy believe that Presiden
Cleveland would gladly approve bill fol
the free coinage Of both metals at the
last named ratio, but there is little prob
ability that if the ratio be changed II
will be made more than 20 to l.
President Cleveland has new scheme
said to have been fathered by ex-Secre'
tsry Whitney who had an extended con-
ference with him just before lie returned
to Washington, to compel early action
on financial bill by Congress. He hat
init mated, it is said. to several Senators
aud Representatives that if Congress
shows disposition to prOlOng the debate
over the repeal of the Sherman law he
will order a large issue Of bonds to relieve
the financial striDgency. OOe Of those to
whom he made that statement is reported
1 to have SAID to him Mr.. President, il
you believe you have the authority under
existing laws to order an issue of bonds,
and that an issue of bonds would
relieve the prevalent financial dis
tress. why did you call an extra session
OF Congress to legislAte upon the sltua'
ton ?"
Notwithstanding the efforts he is re-
ported 20 have made to reduce his flesh
President Cleveland is considerably
stouter than he was when he left Wash
ingtOn for his vacation. This haS been
noticed and commented upon by all who
have seen him since bis return.
There is considerable talk among the
democrats about holding party caucu'
in both House aud Senate to decide just
what legislation shall be taken up at The
extra session, bat the idea meets with sc
much opposition that it has not yet bser
definitely decided upon. Conservative
democrats believe that in the present con-
ditiOn Of sentiment among them, in Col
gress, a caucus woull do more harm than
good, AMI that it will be easier to 'get
together" by personal intercourse than by
q caucus. To outsiders the task Of get
ting together, if it be fair to Judge by
their talk, will be hard one.