Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1894-03-01
lhr him, and if the bill fails to pass it

when Mr.. Bland gets quorum they
will resort to other methods of tilibus-
tering to dissipa,e it and prevent action
upon the bill. Lack of tact IS almost
always fatal defect in man who as
sumes the roll of leader in Congress. 1t
is we'll known that many Of the republi,
cans who haye refused to vote to make
quorum have not done so because OF
their opposition to the bill, but simply
because they wished to compel Speaker
Crisp to count a quorum. Now these
men are mad at Mr.. Bland and will on
that account fight the bill to the last
ditch. The probabilities still favor the
passing of the bill which Mr.. Bland says
shall remain before the House until
acted upon, but its passage Is no longer
considered certainty.
The Senate committee on printing has
DEVOTED two slttings to Investigating the
charge that improper influences were
used by Mr.. Quincy, ex-asslstant Sec'y
of State, to secure the contract for pub.
fishing the Patent Office Gazette for
friends and business associates of his,
and, beginning tomorrow morning vii!
devote several hours day to it until all
the testimony has been heard. 30 far
none OF the testimony has been of a
sensational nature although some Of 1t
is expected to be before the end is
reache ed,
If one may belieye statements of those
who ought to know, Representative
Blanchard lost the vacant seat in the
Senate from Louisiana by voting for the
Wilson tariff bill with its clause abolish
ing the sugar bounty. However, neither
Mr.. Blachard nor his supporters will
believe that he has lost the Sanatorship
until some other man gets it. lie has
gone to Louisiana to look out for his
prospects for donnlng the Senatorial
toga.
1t is thought by those men who are
familiar with the entire situation that
the appointment of Mr.. Blanchard
would weaken the sugar men in their
fight for duty on sugar, because of bis
having already voted for the bill with
out that duty. Senator White will not
resign until his successor has been selec'
ted, nor will he Cease to fight for sugar
until he is sworn in as an Associate Jus,
tlce OF the Supreme Court.
1t may mean absolutely nothing, and
it may mean much, but at any rate the
fact that Mr.. Thurston, the Hawaiian
Minister, occupied the place of honor at
a dinner given by Secretary Gresham
to members of the diplomatic corps has
started the tongues of the gossip s a
wagglng very industriously in their eff
forts to explain it and to square 1t with
a previous rumor that diplomatic relA-
tons with the provisional government
Of Hawaii were strained almost to the
breaking point.
Members Of the House are apparently
as sick Of The tactics which have tied up
the House for two whole weeks as out
sders are, aud to AVOID repetition a
large number Of the majority have
signed a call for a democratic caucus,
to be held after the Bland bill is dis
posed Of, for the purpose of agreeing
upon a change of rules that will prevent
members present refusing to vote to
make quorum whenever they happen
to be opposed to the bill before the
House. Just what the nature Of the
change will be is not yet apparent.
Many democrats open y favor the adop-
ton Of u rule authorizing the Speaker
to count quorum. and if it We're not
for the faults of having had to take the
Reed rule that would come from the
republicans that would certainly be
done, and it may be done anyway. At
any rate something will have to be done,
if the House wishes TO escape being the
laughing stock Of the country, as it has
been for fortnight past.
There is still much uncertainty as TO
what the Senate will do with the Will
son bill. The subcommittee has fin
ished amending the bill, but its amend.
nents are not satisfactory to all of the
democratic Senators, and this morning
they held caucus to try to come to an
understanding, or rather an agreement;
but, according to what has leaked out
at this writing, the effort was not al
together satisfactory. The income tax
is still IN the bill and for that reason it
will be supported by the pcpulists.
Sugar, iron ore and coal have been
transferred from the free to the dutiable
list, but whether they will remain there
is still question.
additional Locals
II cnnt,ipu ,1psprint ions that describe not