Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-04-20
NATIONAL CAPITAL.

! NATIONAL CAPITAL.
A MATTER OF FINESSE ON PART
OF SENATOR HARRIS.
Senator Morgan Refers to the Ad.
dress Of Minnesota Democrats
Proposition to coin Mexican
Dollars-Hill's Great Mistake.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, April ID, 1894.
Senator Harris very cleyerly out
witted the Republican Senators this
week and put an end, for the present
at least, to Republican filibustering
to delay the tariff debate. He made
a bluff OF intending to offer resolu'
ton providing for meeting at III
O'Clock and sitting until 6 each day.
This frightened the Republicans and
they made Il proposition that for a
week the Senate take up the tariff
| Dlli dt i " ClOCh duu COutiuuC Tvs uC-
bate without roll calls or other inter
ruptions until 5 O'Clock. This was
exactly doubling the time that had
previously been devoted to the tariff
bill and being more than the Demo-
Gratis expected to get without a strug-
gle, was promptly accepted. Senator
Harris is perfectly willing that this
agreement should continue in force
for ten days or two weeks longer.
Then he will begin to put on the
screws in earnest, to bring the debate
to an end, beginning by adding an
hour day to the sittings and con-
tinuing until they are continuous,
compelling the Republicans to keep a
speaker on the floor at all times.
Senator Morgan is the only Senator
who has publicly noticed the extra.
ordinary address lately published as
emanating from a Minnesota Demo
cratic association, referring to twelve
Senators as masked Democrats" and
opponents to the tariff bill. He made
personal explanation on the floor OF
the Senate in which he characterized
that address as being like the French
method of trying q man in his absence
and without serving notice upon him.
He expressed himself as satisfied with
the tariff bill as it now stands and an
nounced his intention to vote for it
and his willingness, if necessary, to
stay on the floor OF the Senate several
consecutive days and nights, as he
had done on other occasions, to listen
to Republican filibustering speeches
against it. He said he had been q
tariff reformer long before those who
formulated the diatribe against hinf,
and expected to remain one until we
get fair system of tariff taxation.
The most notable feature of the
caucus held by Democratic members
of the House this week at which reso-
lutions endorsing the repeal of the
tax on State bank currency we're
adopted, was the speech made by
Representative Cummings, of New
York, in favor OF the resolutions. He
told the caucus that the people OF
New York had cast their votes for the
Democratic candidates with full
knowledge of the contents of the na-
tional platform, and that he was
anxious and ready to redeem every
plank in that platform. 1t is the
general impression, even among the
strongest friends OF repeal, that it can.
not be accomplished as at present pro.
posed. That is to say that majority
of the House will vote against uncon-
ditional repeal of the law. 1t might
be possible to pass bill repeating the
law which imposed stringent condi.
tons upon the issue of currency by
State banks. The caucus was attend
ed by less than one-half of the Demo.
cratic membership OF the House.
Senator Wolcott's resolution, which
was passed by the Senate, requesting
the President to open negotiations
with Mexico for the purpose of OBJ
tanning the consent of that govern.
ment TO the coming by our minis oil
standard Mexican silver dollars for
export to China and other eastern
countries, is generally regarded as .
bit of buncombe on the part of Mr..
Wolcott, intended to please the friends
of silver. Few people believe that
Mexico will grant such request. If
40 asserted by Mr.. WolcOtt, the mint
capacity OF Mexico isn't sufficient TO
supply the demand for these silver
dollars in the East, the question
naturally arises, why not increase iii
The minting Of these dollars is very
profitable to Mexico and it seems little
short of ridiculous to expect that the
Mexicans would be willing to surren
der any of that profit to a foreign ma
ton. 1t would not surprise me il
President Cleveland should ignore the
resolution entirely, as he may very
. properly do in the exercise OF the dis
cretion vested in him by the Consti
tuition.
. Senator Hills speech against the
, tariff bill has been the most talked
, about event of the week, and Republi
can praise of it has been carried to ar
: extent that must be nsusesting Il
Senator Hill. Democrats, a. q rule
decline to publicly discuss the speech
but the few who do, while concedinl
Senator Hills personal right TO tall
and vote against his party's measure
. are practically unanimous in express
! ing the belief that he has made 1
, great mistake, and that it was aggre
waited by his uncalled for attack or
the administration which he helped Il
put into power, as we'll Is by his slurl
! upon the southern Democrats WHIT
have go often stood by the Democrat,
party even when they had to poke
their own personal opinions rs we'll q
} those OF their constituents in order x
do it. The man does not live who hal
|, the right to doubt or cast dispersion
upon the loyalty of Southern men Il
the Democratic party, and least of al
) Senator Hill, who has had so man!
! good friends among Southern Demo
, Gratis. What effect the speech vii
have upon the fate of the tariff bill
) remains TO be seen. Dem.
} CAUSE OF THE STRIKE.-Some TIM
: ago the officers OF the Great Northern
, prepared q new schedule of rates to b
r paid to employees. 1t made sweepinl
> reductions. The men would not &C
! cept il, and the matter has been he'll
l.