Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-11-23
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Mr.. Cleveland has, according TO
trustworthy information, fully decided
to give the country striking exhibit
ton of the man who refuses TO either
see or heed the object lesson contained
in the greatest vote Of confidence in
the republican party and condemnatiol
of the democratic party ever put on
record by the people of the United
States, by coming out strongly in his
annual message to Congress, which is
already particularly prepared, for the
passage by the Senate at the coming
session of Congress of the Wilson pop
gun tariff bills placing coal and IRON on
the tree list. 1t seems almost absurd
that he should be.willlng, after the peo-
pie have spoken so plainly, to go on
record with such a recommendation
But he has so often been guilty of po-
litical obtuseness, or, TO express 1t less
elegantly, bullheadness, that nothing
he does need astouish anybody. In this
case it is bound to be wasted recon-
mendation, even if the democratic Sem
ators should drop their personal enmity
to Mr.. Cleveland which has been inten-
sfied by the great democratic defeat,
long enough to try to pass the popgun
bills, which it will be remembered have
already passed the house. The repub-
lican senators can, and will prevent the
passage of any tariff lingering bills at
the short session of congress, even if it
be necessary to block every appropria-
ton bill in order to do so, but extreme
measures will hardly be necessary.
There are reasons TO believe that a suf-
ticient number of democratic senators
stand ready to pledge their vote against
the popgun bills to insure their defeat,
but it is extremely doubtful whether
either of them will be dignilied to the
extent of being formally voted upon.
The work of Charman Babcock, OF
the republican congressional campaign
committee, has aroused the admiration
of all those who know anything about
the management of the campaign. The
world, of course, knows of the result of
his work, two hundred and fifty odd re-
publican congressman and almost GER
tain control of the senate after next
March, but the inside or secret work of
the campaign is known TO only few
prominent members of the party.
They say that Mr.. Babcock has proven
himself one of the shrewdest directors
of campaign work the party has ever
had, which is high praise indeed, and
already movement is quietly on foot
TO have the party get the benefit of that
shrewdness in 1896. Whether this will
be done by keeping him at the head of
the congressional committee, or by
transferring him to the national COM
mittee is not yet apparent.
Congressman Richardson Of Ohio, a
democrat who was defeated for re-elec-
ton, is now in Washington trying to
find life preserver. He gives as one
of several reasons why Ohio went re-
publican by 1876, 900, that "the pension
policy Oh the administration has been
most disastrous to our party in Ohio.
Worthy pensioners have been cut off
right and left, and it seems that special
efforts have been made to humiliate
them"
Vice-Chairman Apsley of the repub-
lican committee, says: IL suppose that
there is no doubt that Mr.. Reed will be
the next speaker, but am not going