The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-07-27
NO. 81.
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June Goth, Is!

i WASHINGTON, June ZUtIl, 1854.
Senator Hale's resolution calling
attention to the ir, egular and illegal
status of the meeting now being held
may be heard from again in Il way
that will be both unexpected and un-
pleasant for democrats and the trusts.
When conference committees were. by
law provided for in cases of disagree
| ment between the House and Senate
on pending legislation it was not with
the intention that the members of the
majority party should devote days and
weeks to bargaining and dickering with
each other in order to arrive at q cut
and dried agreement which should
then be sprung on the minority and
solidly supported by the majority. On
the contrary, it was intended that the
conference should be all that the term
|implies-a full and free discussion of
points of difference between the House
and Senate, by all of the representa-
ives of the House and Senate, and not
'nly by representatives of the politi-
cal parties that happen to be in con-
troll of those bodies, and never until
now has that intention been deliber-
ately violated, although there have
been hundreds of conferences held.
Senator Voorhees, admits that mis-
take was made by not inviting the
republicans to be present at the first
meeting held, but so far as known he
has taken no step to correct that mis-
take. Strictly speaking those eight
democrats have no legal right to tink-
er with that tariff bill in the forced
absence of the six republican members
of the conference committee, and their
attempting to so may make trouble for
them and their party. This tariff
business is long way from being set
tied.
Some of the democrats have sudden
ly discovered that Utah will probably
go republican and so greatly are they
exercised over it that they are actually
trying to get Mr.. Cleveland to veto the
bill for the admission of that territory
to the union. Mr.. Cleveland did not
want the Utah bill passed at this ses-
sion of Congress, but from the best OBJ
tainable infermation- it is not tprobable
that he will veto the bill now that it
has passed, as it weuld be difficult to
find good reason for 80 doing.
The commission which Mr.. Cleve-
land has agreed to appoint under the
act of 1888, to investigate the railway
strike, is not likely to secure any very
valuable information, inasmuch as it
will have no authority to get to the
bottom of the trouble by investigating
the causes of the strike against the
Pullman company, which was respon-
sible for all the rest. 1t can only deal
with interstate railways and their en-
ployees. 1t is difficult to understand
how the labor organization got the
idea that this commission would have
authority to arbitrate. One section of
the law under which M. Cleveland will
appoint the two additional commits
sioners to serve with the the U. S.
Commissioners of labor in making this
investigation does authorize arbitra-
tion by such commission, but only
after application has been made by
both parties to the controversy for
arbitration.
Just to show the country that it
can do business rapidly when so mind
ed, the Senate has in one week passed
no less than nine of the regular appro-
priation bills, and the programme for
present week includes the passing of
the other five. With all the appropri-
alton bills out of the way only the
tariff bill will stand in the way of adj
journment.
There is feeling of relief, in Con-
gress and in administration on circles
at the failure of the strike, which by
reason of the non-act;on of the half
anarchist democratic governor of Illi-
nois, at one time threatened to become
a very serious matter. The Attorney
General has asked for an appropriation
OF $255,OO0 to pay extra expenses in
Cured by reason of the strike by the
depaf tment of Justice The War de-
partment estimates have not been
made up.
Senator Allen of Nebraska, is the
latest victim of the personal explana-
ton. He told the Senate Saturday
that it was not true as published few
days previously that he had made
monkey of himself while in glorious
state of intoxication. The least said
about the matter the better.
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