San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-03-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent,
WASHINGTON, March %, 1893

IL SeldIOES was nelu DIT UIe IeSl-
dence of one of their number with
in the last fOrty-eight hours and it
may prove the first step towards a
war between the President and the
Senate as bitter and relentless as
that which was part of President
Andrew JOhnsOn's administrations.
The most notable thing about the
secret conference was the absence
of such pronounced opponents OF
the administration as Sena-
tors Hill, Murphy and Pugh. AL
though absent these Senators a e
in sympathy with the objects OF
the conference, and it is believed
that they kept away purposely, in
order that certain Senators diSpos-
ed to be conservative might be in
duced to attend. What was staded
to have been the immediate cause
of the calling of the conference
was the notice served upon Sena-
tors by Mr.. Cleveland that he re-
served the right to "turn down"
applicants for office even when
they were Endorsed by both Sena-
tors and the entire state delega-
ton in the House. In other words,
that Congressional influence would
not count unless the bearer of it
was otherwise satisfactory to the
appointing power. Ttat was the
last straw. "ThiS man in
tends to humilitate us and to
break down our power at home"
said indignant democratic sena-
tors to each others, "and unless we
intend to retire at the end of our
terms we must fight" Nothing
definite was determined at the con-
ference, which was held for free
interchange of opinion as to what
ought to be done, but a majority
favored sending Mr.. Cleveland
word in unmistakable language
that unless he would agree to al
low the senators to exercise their
old times privilege of controlling,
when acting in concert with the
representatives from their states,
the federal patronage of
posed to make war on him by re-
iecting his nominations to office.
Although no formal resolution to
that effect was adopted by the con-
ference, the talk Of those who took
part-ahOut twenty senatOrS-haS
been fully reported to Mr.. CleVe-
land, and the few who are in the
secret are anXiOuSly waiting to see
which side, if either,will first show
the white feather. If Mr.. Cleve-
land does it will be the first time
he has allowed himself to be
whipped without fight.
Secretary HOke Smith is ambi-
tiOus Of becoming known to fame
as a headsman. BIN addition to ac-
cepting the resignation of General
Raum, as commissioner of pen
SiOns, in advance of the appoint
ment of his successOr-an unusual
prOceeding-he has asked for the
resignation of all the division chiefs
in the general land office. That's
going at much more rapid pace
than the rest of the cabinet have
yet struck.
Republican officials seem to en-
JOY the confidence of this admins
tration to a marked extent. For
two days last week the war and
navy departments were in charge
of Assistant Secretaries Grant and
Solely, respectively, while Secre-
taries Lamont and Herbert were
out of the city.
Uncle Jerry RuSk has been TAX
ing advantage of his vacation to
do little sight seeing in Wash
ingtOn, which he never had an OPP
pOrtunity to do during the four
years he was Secretary of Agricul-
ture. Although his office was
within a stones throw of the WASH
ingtOn monument he never en-
joyed the view from the top until
since he was promoted to be a pri-
vate citizen.
The administration is trying to
be very mysterious about it's policy
towards Hawaii, but it can be
stated on good authority that it
has had two separate and distinct
policies within a week. The first
of last week, eX-COngressman
BlOunt, of Georgia, who, while he
was chairman of the House COM
mittee on foreign affairs, was an
OutspOken opponent of annexa-
ton, was started for Hawaii with
authority and instructions to re-
pudiate the prOtectorate established
by Minister Stevens, and to haul
down the American flag, in or
der to see whether the provisional
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