Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1894-04-12
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Senator Colquitt and His Successor.
Crisp and Reed Tariff Tinkers'
Dilemma Other Topics.
wAsfItycroy. d. G. April Q. ISL.

, | l.
) came to the Senate to fill the seat LEI
vacant by the death of Ben Hill. A
though not as eloquent an orator as tn
gifted Senator Hill, who has never ha,
an equal in the Senate from the South
since the war, Colquitt has held the frs
place in the affections of the people o
Georgia since the death of Alexander ii
stevens and Benjamin Fl. Hill There i
no State in the Union where men o
great minds are more fondly cherished
than in Georgia. Coiguitt was in retire
ment for many years after the close o
the war. He came to the front III 1876
as candidate for Governor, and served
in that office for six years. He acquired
a national reputation during that period
for his plucky stand in favor of prohib
iting the liqnOr traffic in the State, ant
it was largely owing to his influence and
encouragement that so many of the
counties in Georgia, in those six years
drove the traffic from their limits, and tc
this day have no liquors sold on their ter
ritOry. Five sixths of the counties OF
Georgia at the present time are as com.
pletely rid of the traffic as Maine ever
has been in her history. This monument
to Colquitt will last longer in the hearts
of the people of his native State, than
all the long winded speeches of old Joe
Brown or the fire eating utterances OF
Bob ToombS.
The appointment of Speaker Crisp to
the vacant seat in the Senate by Gov
Northern, was a well deserved compli-
ment. The Speaker declined the honor
and Patrick Walsh, of the Augusta
Chronicle, secured it. There is no dan
ger of Mr.. Walsh declining Newspaper
men are not so modest as to do anything
of that kind. He is a capable man and
worthy of the position.
The House has been in dead lock
several times during tine last ten DAYS
over the election cases, and the Speaker
and MIR. Reed have had quite a number
of rather warm alterations. The Speak
er has proven that he has a firm hand.
almost as much so as Mr. Reeds when the
latter was in the Chair: and there is one
thing that at last seems certain, that is,
that the Speaker will never count a quo
rum of this House as Mr.. Reed would
like to have him. Upon this point he
has been tested to the utmost limit. and
he has held his own. 1t must be admit
ted that the Speaker has shown his abil-
ity to rule the House according to the
present rules, and it is said he refuses to
in any way favor a change to anything
more rigid. Mr.. ONe;l, over whom this
last fight was made, has taken his seat in
the House.
The passage-or attempted passage
of the Bland seigniorage bill over the
Presidents veto, In the House, was at
tended with good deal of excitement
Rather snap Judgment was taken by
the Speaker; as the question was put
to a vote without debate, the slowness
of any one to take the floor being taken
advantage of by the Speaker, who put
the question, and directed the Clerk to call
the roll. There were plenty of demands
for recognition after the Clerk COM
menced to call the roll. but the Speaker
firmly declined to recognize any one, and
ordered the gentlemen to take their seats.
The bill failed to pass over the veto by
vote of l4 yeas to lis nays.
The tariff debate is now on in the Sen
ate in fine style. From Dan Voorhees,
speech one would think that he thought
the acme Of all tariff legislation had at
last been reached. He feels almost as
happy over the amended bill as Mike
Harter did over the bill that passed the
House. But Senator Mills admits that
he is between the devil and the deep sea,
and said that he was going to sea,
believing that there would be favorable
wind that would bring him back to land.
This is rather a remarkable utterance
from man who was the author of the
celebrated Mills bill of 1888.
We seem to be having wars and rumors
of wars. Waite's war in Colorado is
hardly over. before Ben TiIman, Govern
or of South Carolina, has one on his
hands. Ben Tillman has undertaken the
sale of all intoxicating liquors in South
Carolina in the name of the State. 1t is
a new departure, ard the State dispensa-
ries are experiencing some trouble in
getting control of all the trade. Tillman
also lab9rs under the disadvantage of
being unpopular in the cities, where the
heavy liquor traffic of course is. Tillman
is Farmers Alliance man, and he has
Overthrown the regular old line Democ-
racy. composed of such men as Hampton
and Butler, and As his strength is almost
entirely in the country, he labOrs under
great disadvantage in enforcing the law
in the cities. Some of the State Guards |
refused to act according TO orders, and |
were promptly discharged, and their
places filled by other volunteers. The |
Governor declared DIlington and Flo
renee under martial Law, and showed a
firmness that his enemies were astonish- |
ed at. He is made of the stuff that does |
not finch, and the high bloods of the |
State have learned another lesson at his |
hands. The a. Z. A. riot at Kansas City |
has attracted good deal of attention
from the fact that of all conflicts in the
world. a religious conflict is the most to |
be dreaded. Deep regret is expressed on |
all sides that riot of this kind should
have taken place. especially on election
day. And again, the distressing news
comes that the coke regions of Pennsyl- |
vania are in the midst of another bloody |
strike. Awful as il is, it is plain to be
seen that the use of so many ignorant
and brutal workman imported into the
coke regions of Pennsylvania by the
mine owners, is reaping its own reward.