The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-12-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.


- ASSSs lCVt.
The financier, public and private,
has been very much in evidence this
week in Washington, owing to the
hearings given by the House COM
mittee on Banking and Currency.
Every man who has appeared be-
fore the committee did not have a
currency plan of his own to propose,
although new plans have been plen-
tiful, but every man had some OBJ
lection to Secretary Carlisle's plan,
either as a whole or to some of its
details. 1t is doubtful whether the
hearings, which will probably not
be extended beyond this week, have
strengthened or weakened Secretary
Carlisle's plan in Congress. 1t is
taken for granted, from the talk of
members of the committee, that a
bill embracing substantially the
Carlisle plan will be reported to
the House before the Christmas adj
journment, but, owing to SO few
members Of the House having com
mitted themselves either for or
against the plan, it would be but a
wild guess to attempt to say what
disposition the House will make of
the bill. But IL ia not guessing to
say that no bill based on the Car
Isle plan can get through the Sem
ate. 1t is fact based on statements
made by Senators. A noteworthy
feature of the hearings by the House
committee is the apparent antago-
nism of bankers to the Carlisle
plan. There is a suspicion that
this feeling is feigned by the bank
ers, believing that their open sup
port would be certain death TO the
bill.
According to the gossip of the
politicians, the administration does
not expect any currency legislation
at this session OF Congress and has
merely pushed the Carlisle plan
into prominence as the first step
towards making Secretary Carlisle
the administration candidate for
the Democratic Presidential nomi
nation in 1896.
Senator Sherman stated the Mic
aragua Canal question in nutshell
when he said after the speeches of
Senators Morgan and Dolph in
favor Of the pending bill, that all
the arguments which could be made
on tho subject had already been
made, and that it was needless to
further trespass on the time of the
Senate. The only question that
bothers Senator Sherman in con-
nection with the canal is how to
dispose of the claims Of the Mari,
time Canal Company for the work
already done on the canal. He says
he is not satisfied with the provis-
ions Of the bill now before the SEN
ate on that subject. He believes,
and the belief is shared by thous.
ands, that the Maritime Company
would be justly dealt with if the
money it has actually spent on the.
canal were returned to it. Although
the Canal company is hopelessly
bankrupt and its affairs and the
little tangible property it has are in
the hands of receiver, the bill
proposes to pay it fancy price for
its stock, franchises, etc, and some
body is SO confident that the deal
will go through that money is furn-
ished to maintain an expensive
lobby to push it along.
The bill permitting freight pool
ing by railroads was passed by the
House by the Unexpectedly large
vote Of l66 to ITO. The populists
voted solidly against the bill, but
the democrats and republicans di,
vided regardless of party lines,
prominent members of both parties
voting on each side. Friends of
each measure think they can easily
push it through the Senate, but
they may be mistaken, A very few
Senators can, under existing rules,
prevent action by the Senate on
any measure.
Mr. A D. Shreve, of Virginia, has
written Secretary Carlisle long
letter accusing him of having re-
versed his position on the silver
question since he became member
of the Cabinet, and closing thusIy !:
For many years | have watched
your course with jealous care, and
you have been the brightest star in
my political horizon, at whose
shrine | was early taught my first
lessons in political economy; but
it is with pain and regret that | see
you in the evening of life turning
to the golden sunset, whose seduc-
tive rays are alluring you from the
democracy Of Jefferson, and the
dark cloud which is gathering has
no silver lining to cheer and to give
hope to the toiiing Masses
The Senate officially decided two
very important things this week
By Ia vote of n to % il defeated
Senator Gray's motion to take up
the sugar bill, which means that
there is to be no more tariff legis.
lation 10y this Congress. The pop
ulist Senators and Blanchard, Mar
tin and Roach voted with republi-
cans against the motion. BY u vote
of "a To "a the Senate refused to
take up Senator Vests cloture reso-