The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-03-16
ashingion Letter


from a trustworthy source,
positively refused to act as mediator be-
tween the Democrats of the Finance
and the Democratic senators
who have been fighting for radical
changes in the tariff bill, in order to
protect certain industries in their states
When asked to do so ne is said to have
INDUCED in some very vigorous language |
concerning criticisms which Democratic |
senators have made upon the floor of the |
senate and elsewhere about hIs alleged |
interference with the legislative branch |
of the government, and TO have express
ed surprise that he should have been
asked to have anything to do with the
matter This is in accord with my un-
derstanding of one of the reasons for the
Presidents hunting trip. He wished TO
be away from Washington while the
Democratic senators were agreeing upon
the tariff bill, and was both surprised
and disappointed when he returned To
find that an agreement had not been
reached, feelings probably shared by
ninetytive per cent of the Democratic
party.
1t seems difficult to convince the Re
publican senators that they do not pos
Sess all of the parliamentary knowledge
and skill IN that body, but they were
very cleverly outwitted by the Democrats
this week in scheme of their own put
ting up. \ Republican caucus decided
to spring the immediate consideration
of the Bland bill for the coinage of the
| seigniorage, which passed the House
last week, on the Senate, counting upon
the votes of the populist, and upon fore
! ing the silver Democrats to choose be
| tween tariff and silver, their idea being
| To keep the Bland bill before the senate
for an indefinite period, in order To pre-
vent consideration of the tariff bill.
| The Democrats learned of this pro-
| gramme and gave the Republicans a sur
| prise they have not yet recovered from,
| by taking the initiative in getting the
| Bland bill before the senate, Senator
| Voorhees, stating that as it would proba-
bly, be about ten days before the tariff
bill (now before the full Finance com
mittee) would be ready for the consider
alton of the Senate, and that that time
was ample for the disposition of the
Bland bill Senator Sherman made an
Intellectual effort to have the Bland bill
sent to The committee.
Senator Vest and Mcpherson made
personal explanations in the sen
ate this week concerning charges made
against them, in n New York paper, OF
having speculated in the stock of the su'
gar trust on their knowledge of what the
sugar clause of the tariff bill was TO be.
Senator Vest said: Il may as well
say now, once for ALL that such publica-
ton as this is a vile SANDER and the man
who repeats it is a willful and malicious
liar" Senator Mcpherson said that he
did sometimes buy stocks, for invest
ment, not speculation, and that when he
was in the South some weeks ago his
brokers, acting under standing order
to buy certain stocks when they could be
had at certain prices, bought 1,OOt
shares of sugar stock for him. As soor
AS he returned and learned of the pur
chase he instructed his brokers to sci
the stock and to buy no more, as he did
not wish to hold it while sugar was being
= discussed by the finance committee.
The usual bids for the soldier vote Were
p made by the Republican members of the
+ | House during the debate on the pension
| appropriation bill. 1t was the old, ole
| story.
Postmaster General Bissell doesn't ac
cept any halfway business from contract
ors under his department. The Presi
dent of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
| pany was made aware of this fact, thi
week, through an official notification
p that the contract between the govern
I ment and his company for the transpor
p tation of mails between New York ant
the Isthmus of Panama, and between
San Francisco and the japanese an
Chinese ports, made under the SubSid
act of the notorious billion-dollar con
gresS, would be Cancelled, because of tn
. failure of the compuny to comply wit
the terms of the contract. Mails wi
continue to be sent 10y the steamers {
u this line, bnt only the usual prices wi
II be paid for carrying them, instead of a
9 extra subsidy of 81 mile for all the iii.
i tance covered. The canceling of TIN
J contract leaves only two llnes-The Re
u ID. line, between New York and tn
% north coast of South America, and tn
l. Ward line, between New York, Cuba an
" MeXico-operating under the subSid
law, as the American line between Ne
York and southampton will not begin I
:" receive its subsidy until next October.
ie The House Democratic caucus hel
le this week to consider the advisability {
n making some change in the rules, loOI
~ ing towards AN easier way of getting an
keeping a quorum, accomplished noti
II ing becanse it was not itself attended
II a quorum. There is one way in whic
% the Democrats of the House could larg,
:, ly increase their popularity, help th
party, and always have quorum-b
simply attending the sessions of I'll
u House; but this seems to have been eI
l. tirely overlooked by some of them. NJ.