The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-02-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular CorespoGdent.J
Washington, Feb. 10, /

From Our Regular ConespoEdent.I
Washington, Feb. 10, 1893.
Mr.. Cleveland Is certainly trying hard
to dictate legislation to the present con-
gress. There is good reason for the as
sertion that the proposed radical
amendments to the pension laws. which
were when krst offered voted down by
the house committee on appropriations,
and this week adopted by that commit
tee, are the result of direct orders from
him. Mr.. Holman joined the republican
members OF the committee in protecting
and voting agains. these amendments,
which are to be offered to the pension
appropriation bill when it comes up in
the house, but they were outvoted.
These amendments are first, for the
transfer OF the pension bureau to the
war department and the detail of army
officers to serve as commissioner and
deputy commissioners; second, to sus-
PEND all pensions paid to pensioners not
disabled by wounds who have an annual
income in excess OF 5000 year; third to
suspend all pensions paid 20 widows OF
soldiers who were not married to them
within Eye years after the close of the
war, fourth. to suspend all pensions ex-
cept those for total disabilities, now paid
to alien non-residents. Whatever may
be done by the next congress it may be
set down as certain that these amend
ments will meyer be adopted by this con-
gress. It is believed that the purpose in
offering them is to feel the pulse OF the
public on the pension question.
A majority of the house judiciary COM
mittee has at last agreed to the report OF
the Homestead Investigation which was
prepared by Representative Oates, chair
man of the subcommittee which made
the Investigation. This report will not
make enjoyable reading for democratic
editors who made the Homestead
troubles the basis for partisan editorials,
dnring the late campaign, for it says that
the tariff had nothing TO do with the
troubles, and that the strikers were the
aggressors. 1t also condemns the use OF
the Pinkertons and says that such agen-
cies should never be employed without
consent of the state. There are two
minority reports, one condemning the
use OF the Pinkertons and the other an
argument in favor of compuls DRY state
arbitration laws,
The ease with which two or three men
tie up the house whenever they are so
disposed has creaaed sentiment which
makes it certain that the rules adopted
by the next house will permit the MAORI
ty of the house to do business when it
wishes to, and to squelch fillibustering.
In fact it is common thing to hear
democrats in the house abuse the present
rules and wish for few days of the much
cursed Reed rules of the Fifty-6rst con-
gress.
1t is now certain that the appropria-
tons of this congress will he at least
$50, 200, 900 in excess OF those made by
the last republican congress. which, by
the way, is no longer sneeringly referred
to by the democrats as "billion dollar
congress" Now these gentlemen see
that Secretary Charles Foster was right
wheu he said: This is billion dollar
country" lis ts
Senator Chandler had little fun with
his democratic colleagues this week by
INVITING them for their failure to live up
to their national platform. The only re-
ply came from Senator Harms, of Tenne-
see, who declared that he was not. never
had been, and never would be the slave
of a national platform.
Extra session talk is now heard every
where, and unless Mr.. Cleveland made
his threat about the failure to repeal the
silver law for bluff one of his first off,
cialacts will be to issue proclamation
calling an extra session. A prominent
democrat is authority for the statement
that it will depend upon poll of the
house and senate of the next congress,
which the friends of Mr.. Cleveland are
now trying to make. If the poll shows
majority for repeal an extra session
will be called; otherwise not.
Both the whiskey trust and the Pana-
ma Canal Investigations areIn what may
be called the promising" stage. that is
they promise startling revelations, but
so far none have been made.