Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-07-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Still Harping on President CIeve-
lands Letter to Wilson.
Some Arc Glad He Spoke. But They Think II
Was Too Loud.

declare that they distinctly felt the jar
clear across the country, and Mr. Abbott
OF Texas adds that there was such a dark
cloud gathered in the north that his con-
stitucnts expected dry norther." This
is only rhetoric for the general truth that
many of them felt a call to return to Wash
ington at once and have been hurrying in
bringing the latest opinion OF their con-
stituents. They come with some rather
doicfui stories. Like the successive mes
sengcrs I'm job i. 1919, each one told a
worse tale than his predecessor, and 1t was
soon made apparent that the difference OF
opinion among the people was as great as
II not greater than that In congress, For
twoor three days the house was almost in
capable Of transactlng business, and on
the day Senator German made his great
speech 1t adjourned at half past for want
Of u quorum.
Spoke Too Loud.
"My people" says Mr.. Abbott, "still
have great fifth in Cleveland. They talk
of his letter as trumpet call to action
and excuse his rudeness by charging it to
his earnestness. I may say that they look
on his production as ii it were meant for
party In general. Yes, we must in all our
calculations keep in mind that the Ameri-
can people have IL confidence in Cleveland
So great that the critics might call it an
infatuation.' Men from the central west,
especially Indiana and Illinois, say: IAN
our fellows have been asking, why doesn't
Cleveland speak out2' Which bill is he
for-house or senator They have been as
much puzzled over it as we, used to be in
tho old campaign as to what side of a
question Andrew Jackson was on. Well,
Cleveland has spoken out, and little too
loud, some Of them think but they do at
least know where he stands and they are
glad of that" Mr.. Lapham of Rhode
Island may be taken as a fair representa-
tive of middle, northern and eastern Dem
ocrats, and hi says: 1T was bad idea to
write such q letter and worse to publish
it, but it isn't every mistake that kills. If
it were, whit politician could survivcF
Mr. Patterson of Tennessee represents a
similar class in the south in saying, "Wc
ought to have taken tho senate bill with
such changes rs we could get, for at tho
worst 1t was d vast improvement on tho
Mckinley bll.''
Such mon as Judge Culbcrson Mr.
Bailey, Champ Clark and Mr.. Coombs of
New York arc quito reserved, and when
questioned merely give u shake of the head,
which, rs the correspondent secs it, may
be interpreted, / wish he hadn't done
it." TO many questions Private John
Alien briefly replies, "Tho Democratic
party Is id hard to kill, " from which
we draw inforences Once only, it is re
ported did he grow facCtious on the sub
jcct ana saytlGlt if Kansas should vote the
woman suffrage amendment and send Sen
atrix Lease and Scnatrix briggs to the
upper chamber 1t would supply all that Is
needed Alittle hairpulling would DO n
positive relief Such facetiD as the most
humorous Democrat can now evolve lift
the cloud but very little, if any. Out Of
all the talk, however comes this conclu
sion, which IS but i quotation from 80
Democrats Of both houses I'VE must pass
bill A generation has passed since the
Democratic party had u real chance to do
anything Tho people have commissioned
us to do this work. and IL we fail they
will take lis ut our own valuation and
hand the power over to some other party"
This is The language Of the really judicious
In both houses.
Tax on Grecnbacls.
Business In the house except for the
4
right ON, and great deal has been done
by senate committees. The judiciary com
mittoo has examined the Cooper bill per
hitting tho taxation OF grecnbacks and
the constitutional points involved with
great care and reported in favor of its
passage There is some difference In the
committee in the lines Of reasoning, though
all arrive at the same conclusion. Some
members say that SO long as the grccnback
was government note merely it could not
constitutionally be taxed, but when IL was
made rcdcemable in coin on demand and
receivable for customs dues IL ceased to be
note and became money equally with
coin and therefore taxable. The commit
tee on territories has also accepted the re
port of its subcommittee on New Mexico
and Arizona and little doubt is now OK
pressed that both will become states CON
temporary with Utah.
Tho vote by which the Tucker rcsolu-
tion for amending tho constitution passed
the house il spoken of with surprise by
senators, and some Of them nre inclined
to consider IL a sort Of blow Mt tho senate
Mr.. Tucker, however, is quito conli~cnt
that 1t will go through the latter body
mud bc adopted. though ho thinks it may
be years before enough states approve OF
It, There is, he says, mo limit on the
time the states are TO give assent. II 10
approve and one rejects 1t, tho 10 arc
counted I'm its favor, and the one in the
negative Is not counted and the matter
may he submitted again and again. The
precedent established by the ruling of the
secretary of state when one state wanted
to withdraw its assent to the fifteenth
amendment Is I'm point, With "A states,
we should need tho assent of 3S, and that
of IL Is assured in advance, their legisla-
lures having formally resolved in its favor.
1t has been overlooked that this amend
mcnt is practically going into force now,
us several states are nominating their sem
ators at state conventions. Illinois started
the practice, Michigan followed, and other
states ars falling into line"
Some Out of Work.
Changes III the departments which had
been suspended for time. have been be-
gun again, though there are comparatively
few dismissals. According TO the state
bulletin, there will be in the department of
tho interior at the close of this month 1873
promotions, 81 reductions and IS dismis-
sails, ali in accordance with gradings made
hx-t no,