The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-07-15
WASHINGTON LETTER
(Erom our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. July It'll, 1898.

until the opening of the extra session
of Congress, on August Z. The rest
of them will endeavor to get a little
rest between now and then. Secre-
tary Lamont is now in Maine with his
family, and Secretaries Carlisle and
Herbert are at the Worlds Fair,
while the Attorney General is in Mas
s%achusetts. Secretary Hoke Smith
will combine business with his vaca-
ton, by making a trip through the
West and visiting various subordi-
mates of his department. President
Cleveland does not expect TO return
until just before tie assembling of
Congress, as he wishes to. prepare his
message to Congress, which will be in
some respects, the most important he
ever wrote, free from interruption.
Notwithstanding all the newspaper
talk about an administration program
me for the extra session of Congress,
I can be positively stated that there
will be no such thing as an admins
1ration programme. President Cleve-
land will in his message enGeavOr to
make the necessity for the repeal of
the Sherman silver law perfectly plain
to Congress, and that he will not over
step the bounds of his constitutional
tights, but he has no idea of attempt
ing to dictate IA programme to Con-
gress. He will merely point out what,
in his judgment, ought to be done.
leaving Congress to consider way and
means of how it shall be done, or
whether it shall be done at all.
The programme for the extra SEES
slon Will be arranged by Congress al
ter it meets and not by any single in
dividual, and any attempt to outline
it before the members of Congress
have had an opportunity to consult
upon it is nothing more nor less than
guesswork.
Representative Holman, whose ideas
on economy in administering the Gov
eminent are widely known, SAYS moth
ing would be more conducive to econ
omy than the imposition of an income
tax by Congress. Speaking on the
subject this week he said: ''The pos
sibilities for wealth in the United
States are beyond all calculation.
They are enormous. If we tried to
live up to them in our public expense
We would inaugurate an era of extra
vagance in the midst Of which free in
situations could not live. Behind
Congress is the weather. class of ci-
tizens. 1t is to their interest that the
expenditures Of the government should
be lavish They are the gamers by
building contracts. by river and har-
hnp oontranfc anI . n V1r 600
plenty of Hobbies of rich men or their
representatives here at each session of
Congress. You never see a lobby of
poor men. You may not know it, but
there is not an evening that a member
of Congress cannot dine at one of the
clubs in this city. The men who sup
port these clubs are not men who con
tribute their fair share to the support
of the government, They are the
people who profit by the expenditure
of large sums of public money. That
is the strongest argument, l think, in
favor of the establishment Of an in
come tax. If we make heavy appro-
priations now, the weight Of them
falls with the greatest force on the
poor. If the government was support
ed by an income tax, these same pec-
pie who are here urging us to spend
many now, would be here in the same
force urging us to economize. Their
interests then would be in economy"
This argument may be new to MANY,
but it Is none the less interesting on
that account.
The recent ~shake-up in the Weather
Bureau by which several Of its highest
officials were retired to private life, is
believed to be but the beginning Of an
entire reorganization of that branch of
the public service. Secretary Morton
thinks it has been too extravaeantly
run.
Many unsuccessful attempts were
made while Speaker Crisp was in town
this week tc get a hint from him as to
who would be chairman of the most
important House committees IN the
new House, his own reelection to be
Speaker being taken for granted.
There has been lots of talk about
President Cleveland being opposed to
this or that chairman of the last House
being given the same place in the new
House, but a member of the cabinet
stated several days ago that Mr.
Cleveland had never made any request
or even Il suggestion to Mr.. Crisp con-
corning who should be chairman of
any House committee. 1t is altogeth-
er probable that some of the old CHAIR
men will fail to get back their places,
but It will be because the Judgment of
Mr.. Crisp is in favor of a change and
not because of any interference on the
part of Mr.. Cleveland. who. although
a wonderfully industrious man, could
neNeI find tiine To do nno..nntL uf L.