The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-03-09
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, March 5, 1894


President Cleveland. who has fine sense OF
h1mor, Will doubtless smile when he returns
from his hunting "Trip and gets glimpse OF
bill that has been evolved from the brain OF
Mr.. Bailey, the brilliant young Texan, whose
devotion to the Constitution has earned him
fame in the House. 4 preamble TO the bill
reciles the charges that have been made of the
encroachment of the executive upon tie pre-
negatives of the legislative branch of the gov
eminent, and the bill provid for cessation
of such encroachment by relieving Senators
and Represe tltives from all participation in
the making Of appointments. 1t provides fur
Their that whenever the President desires intor-
nation not contained in the papers of appli-
cants for office be must get it from some on"
who is not member of either branch of Con-
gress. While Mr.. Bailey's b II has some de-
siral lie points, the country, to say nothing of
Congress, is hardly educated up to such Il high
standard yet. Congress would to be sure be
purer and more pa'rlo,ic If its members had
no dealings with patronage, but until there is
decided change in human nature Congress is
eye of trying, if they do not always succeed,
to get offices for those who help them TO get
into Congress
Although it took more than two week to get
voting quorum on the floor of the House to
| pass NJ. BANDS bill for the coinage of the
seignorage the quorum did not stay two days.
| True, there is no special need ofa quorum to
consider the pension appropriation bi |, which
is now before the House, but that is no good
reason why so many members should be alb
sent. The, are sent here and paid to attend
the sessions of the House and they should
either do it or resign and allow some one else
to do it. No business transacted by Congress
is of more importance than the making of ap
preparations, and that for pensions is the larg-
est of them all.
Tie expressions of pleasure from men of all
shades of politics at the news of the GONZALES
cence of Chairman Wilson speak volumes for
the esteem in which that gentleman is held
by all who know him. He never forgets that
he is a democrat of democrats, nor does he
ever forget the courtesy due from one gentle
man to another, not even in the midst OF the
ho' test political wrangle on the floor of the
House, hence his deserved popularity.
Secretary Herbert's official statement of his
having compelled the carnegie Company,
which has the contract 10 make the steel ar
NOR for our new war ships t. pay $l4O, 4S4.
"a to the government, on account of defects in
armor furnished last year, was not news to
those democrats who ENJOY the confidence OF
the Secretary, but it was new departure on
the part of the Navy Department that must
have very much surprised Mr.. Carnegie and
his associ ,tes, who have been so long accust-
omed to being able to elk up" any charge
that happened to be made against them in con-
nection with their dealings with the govern
| ment. In fact, they tried to elk up this
matter by appealing from Secretary Herbert
| to the President, but the President stood by
| the Secretary and the cash had to be planked
down. No amount of influence can get any
crooked business approved by this administra-
| ton, except 1t be done through the connyance
| of some of the holdover minor officials who
are still occupying places that ought to be fill
| ed ty democrats and who are in pay, indirect
| w. if not directly, of some of the cd contract
orS
1t is not expected that tie S pate viii take
| up the bill for the coinage of the seignioraee
until after the tariff bill has been passed.
| Senator VOORHEES, says he did not owe work
himself as much during the long silver fight
at the extra session as he has done since the
democratic caucus returned the Wilson tariff
bill to the Finance committee for revision, and
| the other democratic members of the commit
ee have worked just as hard. The sentiment
| of the democratic Senators is unanimous for
harmony, but the trouble is that some of them
have So far refused to harmonic unless given
their way about several schedules of The bill.
If there is way to revise the bill 50 that it
| will get every democratic vote in the Senate
| the committee is determined not to abandon
Its search until it has been found. Members
of the committee now decl inc 20 name time
for the reporting of the bill, content ing them
selves with saving that not one hour shall be
unnecessarily lost. No one eau passoly be
more anxious fer speedy action Oh the bill
than are the members of the committee, and
it is only fair to say that the bill would bave
been reported two weeks ago had it not been
for opposition outside the committee.