The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-11-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Items of Interest Happening in and About
the National Capital.
(From our regular CORRESPONDENCE

lErom our regular correspondent
Washington, Nov. 10 The Demo-
cratic senators and representatives who
have been in Washington since the cleo
| ton have with one or two exceptions
talked in a manner that indicated the
proper spirit. Their greatest desire, they
have said, is to allow the past to rest and
| to have the Democratic party take Il
| fresh start by getting together in congress
and adopting some legislation that will
help the country and incidentally the
Democratic party in 1896. Just what
| legislation will be acted upon is n ques-
| ton that will determine very soon how
deep this anxiety for party harmony
goes. The idea l have heard most gen
orally expressed by Democrats is that SEN
ators and representatives should not com
NIT themselves to the support of any par
ticular tariff or financial legislation I'M
| til after the recommendations on those
| subjects contained in the presidents an
nual message to congress are made pub
| lie. That would leave them free to ac-
| cept the presidents recommendations
should they be of such Il nature as to be
acceptable to the Democratic party as Il
whole, which they are almost certain to
be. With the Democrats in the senate
and house acting in harmony, much can
be accomplished in legislative way dur
ing the three months of the short ses-
sion. Without harmony there is no hope
of accomplishing anything and would not
be even if the session were to be three
times three months long.
Since President Cleveland announced
that his annual message to congress
would contain important financial recon-
mendations based upon Secretary Car
isles annual report, Democrats have
been greatly interested in learning the ma
ture of Secretary Carlisle's report, but it
is as yet Il secret, confined to those WHO
have promised to keep it quiet until the
report and the presidents message are
made public. Secretary Carlisle has not
been at his Office for several days, prefer
ring to work upon his report at his home
where he is free from interruption. 1t is
said that the system proposed will supply
the elasticity 50 badly needed in our pres
ent financial system. Although Secretary
Carlisle has always been known as n
friend to silver, no one who will tell, has
found out what part silver is to play in
the proposed new system.
A laborious attempt is being made by
certain parties to have it appear that
President Cleveland has exceeded his
constitutional authority in dealing with
the proposed mediation of the trouble be-
tween Japan and China. Their whole
story is built upon Il false foundation.
They say that President Cleveland has
offered to act as mediator. He has done
nothing of the kind. At the request of
the Chinese government he directed Sec
rotary Graham to ask the Japanese gov
eminent if it would favOrably consider a
proposition to have the United States act
as mediator in order to put an end to the
war. 1t will be difficult to make sensible
people who are upon principle opposed to
Inl; hot bn
his authority in thus trying to end war
between two nations with which we are
on friendly terms. How friendly we are
with Japan may be judged from the fact
new treaty has just been concluded
with that country.
There is little danger that the Republi-
cans of the next house will carry out the
threat made by some members of their
congressional campaign committee to
throw out the entire Virginia delegation,
which is solidly Democratic. The Dem
ocrats would not ask anything better than
such action by the Republican house. 1t
would not only keep Virginia solidly
Democratic but it would bring out thous-
ands of Democratic votes in other states.
The leaders of the Republican party are
too shrewd to put such a club as that
would be in the hands of the Democrats,
however much the Republican contestants
from the Virginia district may beg.
Democratic newspaper correspondents,
who are as q rule great admirers of Sec
rotary Carlisle, have been in hot water
with their editors ever since that bond
issue has been announced, because they
had on the personal authority of Secre-
tary Carlisle, sent out the positive state
ment that their would be no immediate
issue of bonds. That Secretary Carlisle
had good reason for throwing the boys |
off the track by telling them up to with |
in AZ hours of the issue of the call for |
bids that no bonds would be issued is
certain, but to date none of his news
paper friends have been able to find out
to a certainty what it was. Speaking of
the bond issue, present indications are
that the amount to be issued-$5O,0O0,- |
O00-wil be subscribed for two or three
times over. This is gratifying tn Demo
Gratis, whether they approve of the is
sue of bonds or not, as it indicates in an |
indisputable manner the confidence felt |
by capitalists in the administration.
Some Democratic members of the house
notably Hooker of Mississippi and |
Bailey Of Texas-are criticising the ad-
ministration for issuing bonds, but the
general impression is that no formal
action will be taken on the subject by
congress.
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