The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-03-02
ashingtOn Letter.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., February 23,
1891 1t isn't pleasant, but unfortunate
IN il is true, that the signs of the Demo
cratic senators getting together" on the
:ariff bill are not as promising as they
were They all agree that we must have
tariff reform, but few of them have
ideas which they have so far refused TO
be argued out of as To what constitutes
tariff reform. 1t is this, and not the
interference of President Cleveland,
which has prevented the reporting of the
bill to the Finance committee. Ii would
be useless to get the bill before the SEN
ate knowing that enough Democratic
senators would vote against il TO make a
majority with the aid of the solid Re
publican vote. Those who are impa-
tient at the delay should remember that
the Republicans have IS senators and
that 43 is majority. 1t should not be
forgotten, either, that the votes of the 5
populists Senators are uncertain and
may, unless the Democrats vote togeth-
er, hold the balance of power The
charge that President Cleveland is trying
to dictate to the Democratic Senators is
absolutely false. He has no desire 9TH
er than to see them agree and take speedy
action on the bill, and that is desire
that should be shared by every Demo-
crat.
Senator Mills paid his respects to the
Republican senators who sought to xii!
a little time by slurring at his connec.
ton with the subcommittee that is con-
sidering the Wilson tariff bill in the fol-
lowing vigorous English: Il have no
n
have taken in trying to reduce the bur
den which our friends on the other side
h I'VE heaped upon the shoulders of the
people, and which they have been in
creasing from year to year for the past
thirty years. / do not feel that it is the
duty of the senators and Representatives
TO consult the people who are receiving
the plumber from the pockets of the yeo-
manry of the country. Weare sent here
to discharge duty to the citizens and
not TO consult the beneticiarieS as to
how much we will allow them"
Senator VorheeS looked at Senator
HOar and smiled as he presented TO the
senate "A petition signed by more than
1000 citizens of Massachusetts, asking
for the speedy passage of the Wilson tar
III blAi btNtliSt VI llS Il SuD-
stantial measure of relief from the most
burdensOme exactions of the existing
tariff law" Mr.. Hoar got excited and
wanted to know who were the signers of
such a petition, but he was more than
satistied-he was crushed, for the mo
ment; nothing short of death can per-
manently crush him-when informed
that among them were such men as
John Forbes, William Lloyd Garrison,
Amos W. Stetson, and William c.
Endicott. The petition was sent to Mr.
Voorhees, because the Massachusetts sem
atorS have been accused of suSpreSsing
similar petitions sent to them.
Secretary Carlisle has had a lot of
trouble owing to the disinclination of
national banks to receive silver certif>
Gates in exchange for legal tender notes
forwarded for redemption. Wishing to
know whether he had legal right to
compel the banks to accept the silver
certificates he made formal application
To Attorney General Olney for an Official
opinion defining the status of the silver
certificates. That opinion is that silver
certificates are not lawful money, being
merely the governments receipt for sill
yer, which will be delivered upon sur
render of the certificate.
The senate was very ohliging when it
ordered an INVESTIGATION of charges
made concerning the connection of
Hon. Josiah Quincy. of Massachusetts,
with the change of contractors for the
publication of the patent office Gazette
upon no better evidence than that of a
man whom Mr.. Quincy had been in
strumental in having kicked out of a
public sinecure. Neither Mr.. Quincy
nor his friends have any fear of the re-
suit of the investigation, which will be
made by senators German, Ransom and
Manderson, who have already been no
titled by Mr.. Quincy of his willingness
to aid them in every way to get all the
information desired.
Senator White. of Louisiana has a
right to feel proud of the good opinions
of his colleagues and the public, regard
less of politics, which have been ex-
pressed since his nomination and unan-
imOus confirmation TO the supreme
court vacancy. Had he been entirely
unknown his speech on the Hawaiian
question, delivered this week, would
have placed him in the front rank of the
ahlest men in the senate. His future
colleagues, the justices of the supreme
court, regard his legal knowledge as a
decided acquisition to ''the greatest tri-
bunal in the world, "
Senator MoIgan's Democratic col
leagues on the committee on foreign re-
lations decline to endorse the report he
wrote on the Hawaiian investigation.
and will prepare a minority report The
Republican members of the committee
will sign Mr.. Morgan's report.
The House has not yet passed the
Bland will for the coinage of the seign-
forage, owing to the absence of a voting
quorum