The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1893-12-22
NO. /.
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. Dec l5. 1894

| WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 1873.
"Unless | am very much mistaken
that man has all the symtoms of
softering of the BRAIN" The man
who spoke those words was one of the
few administration Senators, and he
was referring to Mr.. Cleveland whom
he had just seen. Whether the Sena-
tor was right in his diagnosis your
correspondent does not pretend to say,
but it is becoming evident that Mr..
| Cleveland's friends think there is
something the matter with him. His
actions have of late certainly been
queer. He is impatient, cross and
almost insulting to the few Senators
and Representatives he condescends to
see at all, and when they afterwards
get together and compare notes they
find he is changeable and inconsistent
as we'll. Every discriminating person
who has taken the trouble TO compare
the style of the literary work upon
his annual message with that of his
messages during his first administra-
ton must have discovered a great diff
ference in them. This may, of course,
be largely owing to the fact that Dan
Lamont finds the duties of Deputy
President so eXacting that he has no
time left to assist in the preparation
of executive documents. Be that as
it may, Mr.. Cleveland's friends-he
sees no one else, except in a public
way-are certainly showing among
themselves uneasiness about his men,
tai condition.
The democrats in the House are act
ing more like a lot of badly demoral-
lied school boys than statesmen. They
promised that the new tariff bill
should be reported to the House on
the first day of the session, and the
bill has not yet been reported, although
Mr.. Wilson promises that it shall be
this week. The democrats of the
Ways and Means committee have
already made dozens of minor changes
in the tariff bill, thus acknowledging
that it was not properly considered
before it was made public. They are
now squabbling among themselves
about submitting the bill to caucus
before it was reported, and democrats
are openly saying that they will not
vote for the bill unless certain indus
tries in their districts are protected
The House committee on banking and
currency, which has been with that
plank of the Chicago platform, which
promised the repeal of the tax on state
bank currency, plank by the way,
that Mr.. Cleveland absolutely ignored
in his message, has arrived at 10 con-
clusion, although its chairman-the
much sat upon Springer, of Illinois,
has made public a hodge-podge of
absurdities that could not possibly be
carried into effect, even if they were
enacted, showing what alleged pro-
gress the committee has made
The democratic members of the
Ways and Means committee are at
daggers points concerning the items
that are to be included in the internal
revenue bill, which ought TO have
been ready simultaneously with the
Cleveland tariff bill. A majority of
them favor personal income tax, but
they hesititate about incorporating it
in the bill because of Mr.. Cleveland's
premature announcement, in his mes
sage, that the committee had agreed
to tax the profits of corporation only.
Meanwhile the holiday recess is in
sight and nothing has been accom-
plished.
In obedience to the demand of the
Senate resolution passed last week all
of the Hawaiian documents will this
week be sent to the Senate.
"Like master like man." Secretary
Carlisle has refused the request made
by officials of the g. A. r. that they
be allowed to solicit contributions in
! the Treasury for a Christmas dinner
to the INDECENT soldiers of this depart
ment.
The southern war claimants will
have a snap if the bill which has been
favorably reported from the Judiciary
committee of the House ever becomes
a law. The provides for the repeal
of all laws making personal disloyalty
bar to claims against the govern
ment for property destroyed during
the rebellion, and gives all claimants
whose cases were by reason of their
disloyalty thrown out to the Court of
Claims the right to revive their claims
and to have the same rights and pri-
vileges in prosecuting them that
would be extended to the man who
was always loyal to the government.
Any person could recognize the job
berry in this bill. even if the southern
lobby, headed by ex-Congressman
Hemphill, of South Carolina, were
less conspicuous in it's advocacy That
"there are millions in it", if it can be
made law, is apparent to all. Demo-
cratic reform will come high, but it
will not last long.
The democrats from the south voted
| almost solidly against the bankruptcy
bill which was last week defeated in
the House. 1t remains to be seen
how they will treat the voluntary
bankruptcy bill fathered by Represen-
tative Bailey, of Texas, which that
gentleman will endeavor to push to
the front this week.
The exports from Tacoma during