The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-05-10
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular CorrespondentJ
WASHINGTON, May 7, 1894.

National Capital, banded together
under the name of an "army," and
threatening openly to remain until
Joined by a sufficient number Of
men to intimidate Congress into
granting the ridiculous demands of
its self appointed leader, and the
circumstances attendant upon their
coming and their staying here pre-
sents quite as impressive an object
lesson as the financial object lesson
inaugurated by the Cleveland ad-
ministratlon about this time last
year, and unless the difference
between liberty and license is more
sharply defined, may lead to quite
as much misery. That a majority
of the men that this man Coxey has
enticed into Washington and quar-
tered in a pest hole from which he
has moved his valuable horses for
fear Of their dying from the foul
and malaria atmosphere are lazy,
good natured tramps, only intent
upon avoiding work and being fed,
is apparent by their refusal of work
when offered them, but it is equally
apparent that this man Coxey
means mischief should his force
grow strong enough to make it and
the RopulIst Senators and Repre-
sentatives are dong all they can to
encourage it. When this man
Coxey and two of his followers were
arrested aor violating law in their
absurd attempt to speak from the
steps of the Capitol, every Populist
in Congress who could make any
claim to being a lawyer appeared
IN the police court, nominally as
their volunteer defenders, bat in
reality to intimidate the court.
This is the third day of their trial,
which ought not to have lasted more
than an hour.
The manner in which the old law
docking the pay OF members of the
House absent without leave, except
on account Of sickness, is being
enforced is extremely farcical. The
members are allowed to certify their
own absence and the highest num-
Der of days that any member has
owned up to being absent was six,
while any number Of them who
we're absent at times during the
month of April returned no certlf-
cate OF absence and drew their full
months pay. The speaker of the
House, who under this law is re-
CURED to o. X. the certificates of
the members before they are paid
by the Sargeant-at-Arms, declines
to go behind the returns made by
the members, even if he had actual
knowledge of their incorrectness,
5hus leaving the matter entirely
with the consciences of the men,
bers. Experience has proven that
mems consciences are very much
like rubber when questions arise
affecting their pocketbooks.
Sugar has certainly played a star
part in the tariff-tinkering farce
comedy that has been going on in
the Senate for five weeks, and unless
information that has been received
from Louisiana is incorrect sugar
is either going to get all of the
flowers in the last act or it is going
TO break up the show. Demands
have been made upon Senators
CatTery and Blanchard, of Loulsi-
ana, by the sugar planters OF that
State, that they repudiate the forty
per cent. ad yalorem duty put on
sugar by the present bill and de-
mand a straight duty Of two cents
pound-forty per cent is a frac-
zion less than one cent pound
and vote against the entire bill if
the two cent duty is not put on
sugar. This is very embarrassing
to the Senators named, who have
already in caucus agreed to support
the bill as it stands. They are, it
is said, given their choice of obey
ing the demand Of the sugar plant
ers or retiring from the Senate.
They both hold gubernatorial APP
pointments, and the Legislature
that will meet on the 18th inst,
will elect Senators to fill both of the
unexpired terms, as we'll as one for
u full term. TO fully understand
the'situation it must be remembered
that the Louisiana Legislature is
said to be overwhelmingly in favor
of two cent duty on sugar, and
that t has the power should Gallery
and Blanchard decline to fight for
it to send, within forty eight hours
after its meeting, as their successors
men who Will. 1t must not be for
gotten, either, that with the votes
of the two Louisiana Senators and
that of Hill, of N. Y, cast against
the tariff bill, even if there are no
more Democratic defections, that
measure will be killed.
The oil. sugar, whiskey and other