The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-12-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Marshall Cushing's Budget Of Capitol
Gossip.
Big Tom Reed the All-Pervadina
Power at Washington.

the country will be permitted TO pass at
this session Of Congress. Republican
Senators and Representatives are all
agreed that they are called upon TO pre-
vent anything of the sort by any
means within their power. The rules
Of the House might prevent successful
flibustering on the part of the minority,
but the Senate rules are all right, and will
stay so. and the Republicans Senators are
thoroughly determined TO stand in the
way, by whatever means, OF any legisla-
tion that they consider unwise. They
argue that the recent elections taught one
thing if they did anything at all, and that
was that the business world wanted rest,
wanted some certain basis Of operations
and the Senators, therefore, are determined
In view of this implied Endorsement OF
their course that things like popgun bills
and other notions which can do little but
renew the uncertainties of the period
before election shall not succeed. The
Presidents financial policy, SO called, is
not taken seriously so that hardly any
legislation of any consequence at all Is to
be expected until the new Congress
comes in.
The friends of hon Tom Reed like to
consider that the big Maine man is domi-
mating things more than ever. He surely
gains friends, partly by the impetus Of
what he has done and partly on account
Of the power he is expected to come into
in the next Congress, for everybody takes
1t for granted that he will be Speaker.
Now and then somebody like Mr.. John
son OF North Dakota objects, but no special
attention is paid to his criticisms, and the
managers of speakership campaigns usual
ly find some way when the time come to
take practically all OF the kickers OF con-
sequence into camp in some way. II Is
felt by a great many important Republic
cans here that at the present moment
Reed is considered the leading candidate
for the Republican presidential nomina-
tion in '96, but that fact also is considered
to be his weakness, for If the friends OF
others fight him and IL long battle
should ensue, evidently one Of the
other candidates or perhaps some
dark horse, for this has been the
usual experience, would stand q better
chance of winning. The influence OF
Reed seems to dominate everything here.
Republicans in the Senate as well as the
House want to know what Reeds policy
will be under certain circumstances, not
what some one else's will he, and wise
and conservative solution of the tariff and
financial problems are looked to from
him more than any one else. But, as
have said, this point of vantage Is prob
ably the ex-speaker's great danger.
1t is surprising to observe with what
willingness Democratic leaders Of con-
sequence and Democratic newspapers
through their editors aud correspondents
are falling away from the support OF Mr..
Cleveland. His party has peen defeated
badly enough already--a fact which the
existence of the cuckoo, the only out and
out Cleveland Democrat, who is now less
numerous than ever, indicated-b now
old time friends seem to be lukewarsn, and
disgusted Democrats who come In from
their overwhelming defeat allover the
country like to find somebody to
blame and the President, who, while
holding the position of leadership, has
has not lead them, usually comes in for
the largest share OF it. Then the Demo-
cratic papers are discussing in most dis
creditable way the Presidents gout, and
his failing power and all that, and 1t Is
hard to see how he can ever reclaim him
self. An indication OF this weariness
with the President on the part OF Demo-
Gratis Is the frequent reference that one
sees to the candidacy OF Adlai Stevenson
and the great propriety of it. This doesn't
mean so much that these Democrats
are Stevenson men. 1t indicates rather
that they are turning away from Cleveland
and they are already Beginning to try to
find somebody else to look to. And all
this bodies no good Tor the efficiency Of
the rest OF Mr.. Cleveland's term. He can
not accomplish anything legislative
without the help of friends in the Con-
gress. These ere now so few and impo-
tent that they hardly figure in the mat
ter at all-which is another reason for
expecting that hardly anything of any
consequence will be accomplished in the
present session.
The President and his household have
been experiencing some serious annoy
ance from what might seem less import
ant matters. First there has been the
gout, which prolonged the Presidents
sojourn at w cooley two or three weeks
and Cabinet meetings were interrupted,
and he sometimes had to see his visitors,
like his Cabinet officers and others, at his
bedside. Then Mr.. Cleveland seems
to have conceived great fear
lest violence should be done
to him in some way. A new sentry box
has just been erected in front OF the
White House, commanding all the ap-
proaches, and in all "a policemen guard
the executive mansion and grounds day
and night In three watches OF eight hours
each, that is, and recent order is that no
person shall pass in front OF the White
House door while any one OF the w hite
House family is going out or coming in.
All thia axcitement has canaad