Middletown transcript., 1894-03-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, March 18th, 1884,
The tariff fright between the Demo-
cratic free traders and the Democratic
home protectionists having been won
by the latter, the battle is now tempo
rarily transferred to the full Senate
committee on Finance. Their are
eleven members Of this committee, six
Democrats and five Republicans, but
one Of the Demacrats-Vance of North
Cardinals away. If the Democrats
can succeed in putting substitute for
Vance on the committee-they will
probably make the attempt this week,
unless they can get Vance TO come
back-they will have a majority of one;
otherwise the committee will stand a
tie politically, and nothing can be done
without the consent of at least one RE.
publican. The first contest in the
committee will be over the time that
shall be devoted to the consideration of
the bills in committee, the Democrats
desiring to report the bill at once and
the Republicans to go over it section
by section, pointing out its defects and
offering amendments to remedy them.
The Republicans generally regard the
protection which the revised bill gives
to coal, iron ore, sugar and lead ore in
the light of defects, because they are
clearly determinations made merely to
get enough votes to pass the bill, and
only serve to bring out more distinctly
the injustice Of the rest Of the bill. The
Republicans are fortunate in the make
up of their side of the Finance commit
tee. 1t would be difficult, if not i'm
possible, to select five men as we'll
qualified in every respect to do battle
for Republican principles as are Sena-
tors, Morrill,, of Vermont; Sherman, of
Ohio; Jones, CT Nevada; Allison, of
Iowa, and Aldrich, of Rhode Island.
If they do not accomplish anything it
will be simply because nothing can be
accomplished.
1t is not yet certain that the revised
bill can be passed by the Senate not
withstanding the concessions made to
the kickers, although, of course, the
probabilities are decidedly in its favor;
but there remain several elements of
Of doubt either Of which may result in
defeating the bill. Two of the popl.
list Pfeffer and Allen have declared
their intention to vote against it and
the votes of Senators Hill and Murphy
are not assured for the bill, if Kyle
votes with them, and it is understood
that he will, having for good and suf-
fcient reasons connected with the dis
tribution of official pie given his prom
ise to that effect.
A small number of Senators appear
to think that Senator Pfeffer's action
in offering resolution for the investi-
CATION Of the charges made against
five Democratic 'enators, of having
used their positions to obtain in
formation as to what was being done
in connection with tho sugar clause of
the tariff bill, in order to speculate in
sugar stock, was undignified, but
majority is hardly likely to to take
that view of the matter and Mr.. PETER
says he is determined that the resolu.
tion shall not be bigeon holed. The sur
prising thing to most people was that
one of the Senators charged with spec
ulation did not ask for an investiga-
tiun.
Theirs is considerable speculation as
TO whether Mr.. Cleveland will veto the
Bland bill for the coinage of the seign-
forage, which will certainly pass the
Senate this week. Senator Villas, who
is about as close to Mr.. Cleveland as
anybody is, says the bill will be vetoed,
but others who are also close to Mr..
Cleveland say that lie will allow the
bill to become law without his sigma
ture, with the hope that it will remove
the silver question from the coming
Congressional campaign; his idea, ac-
cording to these gentlemen, being that
the mint will be kept busy for several
years to coin the 100000 silver dol
lars required by the bill, and that it
will be useless TO further agitate for
the free coinage of silver until the
mints have got through with that pro-
vided for in this bill. Ifyour corro-
spondent were disposed to make a
wager on this matter he would not
hesitate TO give odds in favor of veto.
Mr.. Cleveland will, in my opinion, be
only too glad of an opportunity to hit
the silver men whom he has never
liked.
The House Judiciary committee will