The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-03-31
from our Regular Correspondent.
Washington Letter.


Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, March 70 1891
81 would sooner be a day laborer
than member of Cleveland's cabinet,
remarked a democrat widely known in
commercial circles to personal friend.
"Why," he continued, "they rarely
know what he is going to do about
anything until his act is publicly
announced. When he invites them to
express their opinions it is only that
he may ascertain how many of them
agree with him, and never with the
remotest idea of accepting their advice
when they do not" The occasion of
these remarks was visit he had paid
to each member of the cabinet, all his
personal friends, to find out something
definite about Mr.. Cleveland's intent
ions as to the Bland coinage bill. He
was told by each of them that while
the matter had been discussed at two
cabinet meetings Mr.. Cleveland had
not told any of them what re intended
to do, but four of them believe that he
will veto it, not so much from anything
he has said since the bill passed Con
| gress as from his previous utterauces
on the same subject. 1t is also the
| general belief IN Congress that he will
veto the bill. If he does, look out for
the biggest democratic row yet seen.
The republican Senators are hard at
work preparing themselves for the tariff
| debate, which begins week from to-
day. 1t is their purpose to point out
in their speeches the bad points in the
bill which are so numerous that many
OF them have necessarily been over
looked by the casual reader.
Nobody in Washington appears to
take Coxey's army seriously, except
Senator Kyle and fellow who calls
himself Coxey's agent. The latter
goes Coxey 100000 better and says
he expects the army to number 1000
when it gets here.
The trouble with the new treaty with
China, which is being considered by
the Senate committee on Foreign
Relations. and which threatens to
reopen the entire "Chinese question"
IN Congress. is that Secretary Gresham
tailed TO prove himself entitled to stand
in the same diplomatic class with the
present Chinese Minister, who secured
every thing his government wanted
without conceding anything substantial
to the United States. So plain Is this
that Gresham tries to excuse himself
by limiting about beneficial CONNER
cial treaty which is to follow. What
makes the treaty all the more disappolnt
ing is that men close to the admins
tration quietly gave out tip many
months ago that the treaty would con
tain a clause binding China TO purchase
annually a large amount OF silver
bullion from US, some said the entire
product of the American mines. Il
really does grow monotonous this hav
ing to condemn every act OF the ad
ministration, but what can one do
when there is absolutely nothing worthy
of commentator.
i Judging from the record of the
party, particularly in the last House, 1t
would seem that if there was any one
thing that would induce quorum of
democrats to remain in their seats il
would be the prospect of unseating a
republican member and giving his seat
to democratic contestant who has
just about as much right to it as the
man in the moon, but even that pros
pect did not keep the democratic
members of the House in their seats,
and, after wasting two days in effectual
attemps to get democratic quorum
the republicans very properly refused
to vote-ln order to carry out the
report of the democrats on the elect
ion committee, by ousting Represent
alive Joy, of Mo, ard giving his seat
to the democrat he defeated, they were
compelled to temporarily abandon the
scheme. 1t will be again attempted
this week, and 1t will, of course, in the
: end succeed. 1t is only question of
getting democratic quorum present.
According to relative OF Secretary
Hoke Smith, now visiting Washington
Sam Jones, the slang Singing Georgia
preacher, said lately of the democrats
in Congress: "Of all the box ankled
handy shanked, flea bitten, bob tailed,
NANCY, courageless, brainless Jack
asses that ever assembled since God
made the world, l think ior pure
downright cussedness the present
gang IN Congress, headed by Hill in
the Senate and tailed by no quorum in
the House, beats them ALL A d
the Reverend Sam Is democrat, too.
The defense of Representative
Breckenridge in the suit for breach Of
promise of marriage, now being tried
in the Washington courts, has furnish
ed lots of amusement here. The idea
of man of his experience. prominence
and years having been led astray BY
any woman, however beautiful and
artful-Mlss Pollard is far from being
beautiful-is so ridiculous and absurd
that a general smile is the result when
ever it is mentioned, and it IS mention
ed quite often. However he had TO
make some sort OF defense, and he
doubtless thought that this one would
at least secure him the sympathy of
the other men who are following in
his footsteps, because, If successful, it
will furnish a precedent to help get
them out of similar predicaments
should they too get found out. His
, political career is regarded here as be-