Middletown transcript., 1893-02-18
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
Regular Correspondent.

LIS the VICTORIOUS DemOcTdIlc party
on the eve of disruption? Democrats
of national prominence in Congress pri-
vately express the belief that it is, and
predict that long before the end of the
administration to begin next month the
separation between the wings will be
open and final. The principal cause of
this belief is the wide gulf that exists
between Mr.. Cleveland and the South
ern and Western Democrats on the Sill
yer question, gulf which the failure
of Mr.. G. to force the repeal by Con-
gress of the present Silver law has
widened and made apparently impass-
able. Notice has been publicly served
On Mr.. Cleveland by Representative
Bland, the leader of the Silver Demo-
Gratis in the House, that further at
tempts along the line would bring
about withdrawal of the Silver me II
from the party. The forcefulness of
Mr. Cleveland's character is so well
known here thai the general ,t.inion is
that he will continue his fight against
silver by calling an early extra session
of the Fifty-third Congress, unless con-
vineed that bill for the repeal of the
Silver law would be voted down in
either the House or Senate. In that
case he would postpone calling an extra
session until he had converted" a
sufficient number to carry his point.
The selection of Judge Walter Q
Gresham, as the head of the Cabinet,
which is accepted here as an accom-
plished fact, will also be a factor in
bringing about a split in the Demo-
cratic party. AZ rule the Democrats
in Congress decline to publicly discuss
this selection, but privately they are
showing their anger and disappointment.
The feeling among them may be
judged by the fact that Senator Cor
man, who is ordinarily the most in
different of men to newspaper stories
printed of him, took special pains to go
around among the Washington CORES
pondents and contradicted the published
rumor that Gresham had been selected
on his advice. With the natural
shrewdness of the tactful political wire
puIler German lost no time in dis
avowing his responsibility for Gresham;
he had seen and noted the effect of the
announcement of his selection upon
his party associates in Congress.
Senator Hill has been quietly sound
ing the Democratic Senators to ascer
tain how many Of them are willing to
carry their opposition to Gresham to
the extent of voting against his con-
6rmation as a member of the Cabinet.
If he can secure the pledges of suffi-
cent number of Senators to defeat the
confirmation he proposes to do it, al
though it would be something never
before attempted, as it has been con-
sidered one of the unwritten laws of
the Senate to confirm Cabinet noniua
nations without question.
Pressure is being brought to bear to
have Seargent-at- Arms Yoder Of the
House made Commissioner of Pen
sions, if the scheme of transferring
that bureau to the War Department
and suspending the pensions of all
widows married since 1870; of all men
having an income in excess of S6U0 a
year, and. except for total incapacity,
| or all alien non residents, fails as il
will. The Commissionership is merely
| to be used as "A stepping stone TO the
| Democratic nomination for Governor
of Ohio. The claim is made by Yo-
der's friends that his connection with
the U. V. L. !, will enable him to get
| the votes of sufficient number Of old
soldiers, heretofore Republicans, to an
chor Ohio permanently IN the Demo-
cratic column.
The President has fully made up his
mind, and will, it is thought this week
send IA message to Congress favoring
| Hawaiian annexation. A majority of
Congress fayors annexation, but some
Of the Democrats would prefer to post
pond it until the next administration,
and it is possible they may attempt to
do So.
The Democrats in the House at
tempted to railroad the proposed radi-
cal changes in the Pension laws through
the House without debate, but they
were hauled up short by the Republi-
cans, who told them they would fill
buster until the end of the session if
the fullest deba were not allowed.
The debate will go on this week.
The House Committee on Ways and
Means is on a wild goose chase after a
silly newspaper rumor alleging that
Secretary Foster had agreed to sell
$50, ,00G, 600 worth of bonds to a syndi-
cate of New York bankers for gold.
There is not a word of truth in the
rumnr. Secretary Foster has made no
agreement 10 sell bonds and has no in