The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-10-07
WASHINGTON LETTER
'hrom u regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. Sept. 29th, 1898.

Senators Ultice$. German and Paf-
mer, at different times this week took
occasion to defend President Cleve-
land from the newspaper charge,
which Senator Stewart mistakenly
dignifed by reading IN the Senate, of
attempting by the use OF patronage to
control the legislative braucls OF the
government. Of course everybody in
Washington knows as well as these
three Senators do, that President
Cleveland needs no defense. but there
may be people elsewhere who are La
bic to be misled by constant reitcra-
ton of the charge. When Senator
Palmer told Senator Stewart that if he
would name one Senator Who had
been controlled By the President
through patronage, he woald gladly
join him in getting a resolution passed
providing for an Investigation, Sena-
tor Stewart did rot name a Senator.
WhyE Simply because he knew of
none. Senator Germans few remarks
on the subject covered the case fully.
He said 81 am not the m%outhpiece of
the President. His patronage | know
nothing of OF care nothing for. Ipeith-
St ID II Iti wait IL, NO IISSlutpC
has ever been so careful TO avoid the
appearance of distributing patronage
for his W ends. He has scarcely
done his party justice"
Every body has heard of that fire.
quently mentioned article--"Senato-
rial Courtesy but with all due res
pect to the eminent and dionitied gem
tlemen who compose the u. S. Senate
1t must be said that Senatorial dis
courtesy" more truly applies to the nu-
merous ''tifs" between Senators which
have been such a feature of the de-
bate this week. Space ferblds their
enumeration, but one specimen will
give a general idea Of all of them.
Senator Wolcott referred t0. Senators
German and Aldrich as steerers OF
the Senators who favor the Voorhees,
repeal bill, and told of their having
decided to begin next week holding
~tWelve-hour sessions of the Senate.
Senator German il reply said: .This
is the first time that | have ever known
a Senator OF his agents to listen at the
committee o doors to tell the Sen
ate Vi the private conferences of SEN
ators on any subjec1 whatever"
The ultimate fate of the Vorilces
DILL is still very much in doubt. Clio
ture is "a two-edged weapon. and al
though its present adoption would be
of great benefit to the democratic Lar
ty. 1t Is not probable that Senator
Platt's resolution will ever be eport-
eG back from the committee on Rules,
tn which, IL ,roc o,g,,,ol -. -:Iz
cloture there is small probabil ty that
the bill will EVER be voted upon with
out the consent of its opponents. Can
that consent be obtained That is a
question that only the future can an
swer, but Senators have confidence
that it will be obtained through IA
movement now on foot among demo
cratic Senators who favor the bill.
Ills movement contemplates getting
the consent of the opponents of the
bill To the taking of Il vote IN exchange
Tor the promise of enough votes to
the passage Of ii silver bill. something
on tie order of Senator Fanlkner's
proposed amendment to the Vcriees
bill. Il certainty Immediately after the
Voorhees, bill is passed.
The House began the debate on tale
Tucker bill fOr the repeal Of the Fed
eral elec:ion laws according to pro-
gramme, and so far it has been con-
Quoted upon Constitutional grounds.
although it may get down to partizan-
ship any hour. Although it will not
alter or postpone the result, the order
under which the House is acting max
ing October 9th the last day of the de-
bate, the absence Of a quorum of dem
ocrats at times is enough to aggravate
the party leaders and to justify the
adoption of ii proposition which has
been made, to keep a record of the ab.
s~entees and to see that their constitu-
ents are informed through the party
papers i'll their districts of every days
absence without leave. This would
be troublesome to the Congressman,
but just to their constituents.
The House committee on Banking
and Currency after mature dellbpra-
ton decided that more information
shOlld be obtained by the committee
before it reported any financial bill to
the House. In accordance with that
decision the committee has given rep
r%esentative Oates a hearing on his bill
for the repeal of the tax ON state bank
currency and has listened to an argu-
ment by Representative McLaurin in
favor of his proposition to issue $125.-
900, 900 in gTeenbacks to increase the
currency in circulation. The chair
man OF the committee has been re-
quested to obtain as much Information
as possible from the various state gov
ernments on the subject eff State
banks.