Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-03-08
WASHINGTON LETTER
From our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. C. March

When the riot act IS read it iBd
Gates that things are getting squslv
Well, the riot act, fgurativelv speak
ing, has been read ter times 10 fbo
various caucuses of democratic So.
ators held last week, by as MANY
democratic senators, each OF whom
declared that he would not vote f,r
the tariff bill unless it wgs cnanua3
so as to protect the interests of hi.
constituents 1t is one of the most
formidable political revolts that ever
took place in congress, and there il
good reason for the belief that Mr.
Cleveland timed his hunting trim "a
as to be away from Washington and
beyond reach of the telegraph when
the flag Of revolt was raised. ba
having exhausted his influence in
behalf of his tariff bill witbopt
winning vote. In addition to the
ten democrats laundering away in
the caucuses, two populists-Allen
and Peffer-have publicly announc.
ed that they will not vote for the
bill unless American sugar produC.
ers are as well protected as they are
under the present law. While it
cannot be definitely stated how the
tariff bill will emerge from this
storm, it can be stated certainly thatit
must be modified sufficiently to get
seven or eight &C these ten demo.
cratic votes, or its defeat is certain.
1t has been returned to the finance
committee for modification.
Senator Frye made a strong
speech on the reports of the senate
committee on foreign relations on
the Hawaiian investigation last
week, and when the graud-high-chief
I of the senate cuckOos - GRAY, Of
Delaware-attempted to break the
force Of some Of his sharpest crit.
cism on the acts of Mr.. Cleveland
and his puppets, BIount and Willis
Mr.. Frye just made BIN the laugh.
ing stock Of the senate as he tied
him up. Owing to the time taken
up by the democratic tariff caucuses
it took Mr.. Frye part of two days
to deliver his speech.
Pension bureau officials are hop.
ping mad because of the following
resolution offered in the house by
Representative Taylor, of Indiana;
"W hereas, there Is reason to believe
that certain officials and employees
in the medical division of the pen
sion bureau are, and have been,
making false reports of evidence IN
pension cases TO their superiors IN
office, in order to secure unjust deci'
slons in such cases; therefore, re.
solved, that the committee on inya.
lid pensions is hereby directed to
inquire into the conduct of bust,
ness in the medical division of said
pension bureau, and to report to the
house of representatives if system.
attic or manifest injustice has been
done to pensioners, or to applicants
for pensions, by any of the EN-
ployes of said division, said com
mlttee TO reporo to the house by res
olution or otherwise; also to report
the names OF and political utilization
of said employees, and by what admin
istration they were appointed" The
usual defense, sit is nothing but
partisan political attack" will not
answer in this case, as the resoIu'
ton was offered by a democrat
Mr.. BANDS incapacity as a leader
aud absolute lack of tact resulted in
charging his bill for the coinage OF
the seigniorage, which he had 50
much at heart, and which might
have been passed a week or more
before it was had it been properly
managed. The only really import
ant thing that Mr.. Bland has sue
ceeded in doing is in putting the
democrats of the house, with their
ninety majority, in very small hole
and in leaving a chasm between the
silver and anti-silver democrats that
,is not likely to be bridged during
the present session of congress, ana
which will be almost certain 70
make trouble among the democrats