Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-04-13
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
A REPUBLICAN SCHEME NIPPED
IN THE BUD.

B ~ REPUBLICAN SCfeM6 NIfPEO
/ IN THE BUD.
-GrccnbaCks 10 tie Taxed-Life.
tenure In the state Department of
SubOrdimates in Office.
From Our REGULAR Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, April 6, 1894.
Senator Harris, Of Tennessee, has
been by general admission, since the
retirement of ingalls,, Of Kansas, the
ablest parliamentarian in the Senate.
1t is therefore no disparagement OF
Senator Voorhees,, whose hard work
has entitled him to little rest, to say
that the placing OF the tariff bill in
charge OF Senator Harris was wise
move. In addition to his parliament
airy knowledge and skill, he is full of ag.
gressiveness. He has already shocked
the Republicans who attempted to
raise needless obstacles to prolong the
tariff debate by promptly brushing
them out of the way and stating firmly
that no such tactics would be per-
mitted. He proposes that the Senate
shall every day at the expiration OF
the morning hour" g o'clock P. NJ
talk tariff as long as it remains in
session, until vote is reached on the
bill, and he will not willingly deviate
from that rule, except it be to take up
something important that demands
immediate action. This will make the
work of prolonging the debate beyond
a reasonable time, just for the sake of
delay, much more arduous than the
Republicans have been calculating
/ upon.
The House has once more got vot-
ing quorum OF Democrats, and this
week the Democratic contestants
whose claims has been favorably re-
ported upon by the committee on
Elections-O'Neill, of Missouri, and
English, OF California-were given
their seats, and the Bland bill settled
by vote OF IA TO ia.
Representative Cooper, OF Indiana,
thinks great thing for silver was &C.
complished when the House Commit.
tee on Coinage decided to favorably re.
port his bill providing that greenbacks
shall be subject to State and municipal
taxation, as coin now is. Repre-
sentative Hall, of Missouri, who was
designated by the committee to write
the report in favor of the bill, makes
an accusation against the banks which,
unless proven to be erroneous, should
of itself be sufficient reason for the
speedy passage of the bill. He says
The greenback was originally the
peoples money, but of late it has be-
come the pet OF the National banks.
They have kept it from circulation
as its freedom from taxation made it
more desirable to keep in the bank
vaults than silver or gold, which are
subject to taxation. The anxiety of
the banks to get hold of greenbacks
has been so great that fraudulent
practice has grown up. There are
Ouly |OtO,VVVpVVV VI SiCChudCAS III
circulation, yet official returns show
that banks and individuals claim ex-
emption on $4,000, 100000 of green
backs. The manner of conducting
this fraud is simple. A package of
greenbacks is passed from bank to
bank, ahead of the tax assessor, and at
each bank he exempts the same pack
age of greenbacks." Mr.. Cooper's bill
is by no means a new idea. 1t has
twice been passed by the Senate by a
unanimous vote and has been endorsed
by q number of Democratic State
Conventions.
1t would have been impossible for
the Governor of Georgia to have
selected another man outside of Con-
gress TO serve the unexpired time of
the late Senator Colquitt who would
have been Ms satisfactory to Democrats
in Congress As Hon. Patrick walsh,
who will need few introductions among
Democrats in Congress. 1t is gener-
ally expected here that Speaker Crisp
will be elected for the full term be-
ginning March 4, 1895.
Secretary Morton has from the
time he took charge of the Agricultural
Department made it an inviolable rule,
binding upon himself and every official
in his department, that there shall be
no oral understandings about public
matters. He requires that everything
said and done shall appear in writing
upon the records OF the department. so
that no man shall be able to even
make pretence of misunderst lnding
the disposal of any matter. The wis.
dom of the Secretary is made apparent
by the publication of a story alleging
serious conflict of authority between
Prof. Harrington, chief of the Weather
Bureau, and Secretary Morton. There
was no conflict of authority. Prof
, Harrington recommended that the
. civil service law be extended to cover
certain positions under the Weather
Bureau, and the Secretary wrote 9
letter to the Civil Service Commission
, endorsing the recommendation. That's
the whole story, open to all in the
records of the department.
Senator Morgan, of Alabama, hal
!. introduced bill providing for a re
organization of the State department
l which will give all subordinates o
t that department, excepting the Sec
rotary, his first assistant and Ambss
!. sailors and Ministers, life tenure and
chances for promotion according Il
t their merits.
President Cleveland and Secretar!
J.. Gresham were both pies ssd when thu
. Senate passed unanimously and with
out amendment the Boring Sea bill
prepared by the latter to meet neces
sites connected with carrying out tn
, agreement reached by the Court O
:. Arbifratinn which naaaed unnn tn,