Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-10-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
A Comproniise-No Sinecure-Deputy
President Lamont.

President Lamont.
from our regular correspondent
WAsHINGToN, October %, 1993.-Thc
mountain, represented in this case by the
Democratic Senatorial steering commit
tee, which has been in labor for, 10, these
many days and nights, greatly to the prof
it of certain vendors OF liquid refresh
ments, has brought forth the mouse, in
the shape of a compromise silver bill. 1t
is understood that the birth would never
have taken place if the skill of midwiyes
Cleveland and Carlisle had not been made
available. The baby is certainly not one
that anybody has any reason to be proud
of. 1t is lame, halt, and blind, and can
certainly never grow into anything use
full or beneficial, either TO its progenitors
or to the country.
The compromise bill, to get down to
straight forward English, provides that
the repeal Of the purchasing clause of
the silver law shall take effect October I,
1894, and that the silver p1rcha' ed and
the seigniorage now in the Treasu y ard
to accrue from future purchases shall
from time to time be coined Chat is GER
tainly indefinite enough to make future
troubleG and that all greenbacks and
treasury notes under $40 shall be retired
and silver certificates or silver dollars
more indefniteness) shall take their
place That is all Not word about
issuing bonds or any other method of in
cceasing the rapidly diminishing gold re-
serve, which now amounts to only $751;
100000. This is the compromise that Mr..
Cleveland las promised to sign, if it can
be passed, and which the steering com
miItee are compelling Democratic Sena-
tors to pledge themselves in writing to
support. This is the sum total of Demo-
cratic financial ability. 1t will require
the full Democratic support to pass this
compromise, as it is not expected that
Republican Senators win vote for it and
the Populist Senators are up in arms
against it. While the Republicans will
probably not vote for the compromise,
they will not be likely to do anything to
prevent a vote being taken. If the Der
ocrats can stand this measure the Re
publicans certainly can.
The ink Should at least be allowed to
get dry upon announcements of Demo
cratic retrenchment and reform before
the alleged reforms are discarded by the
Democratic administration. The other
day notice was served upon the Repub
lican who was executive officer of the
L. s. Geological Survey that Secretary
Hoke Smith had come to the conclusion
that the office was a sinecure and had
abolished ii, and it was duly telegraphed
to all the Democratic papers that 49,,
coo sinecure had been abolished by the
administration Now comes the sequel,
which will not be so widely circulated by
the Democratic press. 1t was the Re
publican who held the alleged sinecure,
who was abolished; the sinecure was left
in order that it might be given TO
Texas Democrat, endorsed by Senator
Mills, who now practically controls all
federal appointments from or in that
State. So there was neither reform nor
retrenchment in this move, which was
just plain spoilsmans change-a Dem
crat in place of Republican; but it il.
illustrates very strikingly one of the lead
ing characteristics of the present admin
istration
Considerable surprise has been ex
pressed by Republicans that ten Repub-
lican Senators should have voted TO con-
firm the nomination of Van Allen to be
Ambassador to Italy, when by casting
their votes against him they could have
defeated the nomination, which pulled
through on vote of 50 TO %. The Re-
publicans who voted to confirm the nom
ination were Cameron andQuay of Penn
sylvania; Aldrich and Dixon of Rhode
lslaad; Davis, Of Minnesota; Frye, of
Maine; Higgins, of Delaware; Jones, of
Nevada; Mcmillan, of Michigan; and
Wolcott, of Colorado; the Democrats
who voted against the confirmation were
Hin, of New York; Martin, of Kansas;
Irby, of South Carolina; and Vance, of
North Carolina The Populists, with tie
exception of Stewart, of Nevada-class-
ed by others, but not by himself as a
Populist-yoted against the confrma-
ton.
The War Department furnishes an in
teresting problem for the students such
things. Gen Grant, a staunch Mime
sofa Republican, is practically in charge
of the department, having remained in the
position of Assistant Secretary which he
held under the Harrison administration,
and which he seems likely to continue
TO hold as long as he is willing. Inas-
much as party politics play smaller
part in the War Department than in any
of the Executive departments of the
government, there is no reason why Gen.
Grant should decline to remain because
OF his being a Republican. The duties of
Deputy President take up so much of La
mont's time that he has none to give to
the business Of the War Department, and
ii is possible that his reason lately given
for not having appointed Democratic
assistant is eorrect-his inability TO get
a Democrat able to fill the chair of act
ing secretary who is willing 10 do it for
the salary Of Assistant Secretary $4,000
year.