The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-02-17
rom our Regular Correspondent.
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Y, 1894,

WASHINGTON, Feb. u, 1894.
The Cleveland tariff bill is to be re-
ported to the Senate this week. 1t is
not to be torn all to pieces by the Fin
ance committee, as many had expected.
1t is only to be sufficiently amended
before being reported to gain the sup
port of those democratic Senators who
had announced the intention to vote
against it unless their demands were
complied with. Nothing has yet been
officially given out concerning these
amendments, but it is regarded as
certain that they will include a duty on
sugar, both raw and refined, and
duty on coal. These concessions to
the Senators from Maryland, Virginia,
West Virginia and Louisiana, are not
to be called protection. The demo.
cratic party is opposed to protection,
you know. So the claim is to be
made by the committee that these
duties are levied solely for revenue
purposes and with no intention to
HlOlCSt luCSC luuuotllSS do q uotlSl vi
cold, hard fact these proposed amend
ments are not pleasing to the demo
Gratis, except those from the states that
will be benefited, and they are only to
be made because the bill cannot be
passed with even four democratic
Senators voting against it, and as an
offset the duties on a number of arti-
Giles principally produced in states that
are reliably republican are to be still
further reduced. The income tax is to
remain In the bill, unless struck out by
a vote of the Senate. The republican
Senators will probably hold confer.
ence as soon as the bill is reported, IN
order to determine upon the plan OF
opposition they will follow. The ad
vices they are receiving from their
constituents are somewhat contradictory
Some want them to merely put them
selves on record as opposing the bill
and allow it to be passed ; others want
them to use every legitimate parlia
mentary method to delay or defeat it.
Colonel E. T. Lee, of Monticello,
ILL.,, Secretary of the Shiloh Battle
Field Association, is in Washington for
the purpose of presenting to the
congressional committees the memorial
adopted by the association, asking
Congress to purchase the battle field
of Shiloh and turn 1t into National
Memorial park. The association at
recent meeting held at Indianapolis
designated Senators Harris of Tennessee;
Sherman, of OHIO and Villas, OF
Wisconsin, committee to take charge
of the memorial IN the Senate and the
following Representatives to perform
like duty in the House Col. D. B.
Henderson, of Iowa Gen. Joseph
Wheeler of Alabama, and Gen. John
c. Black, Of Illinois,
Representative Geary =" Chlnese
Geary" he is often called-of Cali
fornia, is democrat, but not a cuckoo,
as well be seen by the following langu-
age of his: 81 have as much respect
for the President as any one else, but
l do not see why Congress should first
learn the wishes OF the President or
consult the wishes of the Executive
departments before leglslating. Con-
gress is here to pass laws without con-
sulung anybody and l, for one, am
growing tired of the constant interior
ence of the executive departments in
the work of Congress. Let Congress
make its own laws. and if the Presid-
ent does not like them, let him exer-
else his constitutional prerogative and
veto them" That's the most sensible
democratic speech of the season.
The charge was made several days
ago that Secretary Gresham has had
long letter from President Dole to
Minister Willis in his possession more
than a week, and that it was withheld
from the House for fear that the
terrible arralgnment of Willis for his
double dealing since arriving in Homo
lulu, which it contains, would have
defeated the cuckoo resolution which
the House was fairly driven to adopt
last week, and the charge has not been
denied. 1t certainly looks as though
the administration were determined to
sink itself to the bottom of the pit of
public lnfamy in dealing with Hawaii.
Minister Dole's letter is said TO be |
something like ten thousand words !
long and to 60 into minute particulars
concerning the acts of Minister Willis.
The administration people are claiming
that Senator Morgan has been "pla
cated'' and that he will join Senators
Butler and Gray IN the majority report
of the Hawaiian investigation, which
will jump on ex Minister Stevens and
let paramount Blount and the admins,
tration down easy.
The silver men are on top in the
House, and the passing of Mr., BANDS
bill for the coinage OF the seigniorage
is regarded as ad assured fact, al,
though its opponents are still fighting it
hard and will continue to do so to the
end, by filibusterlng or by another
method that promises to serve their
purpose. They are talking veto rather
atrongly, and it is SAID that some Of
the democrats who will vote for the
bill will do SO merely to square them
selves with their silver Constituents,
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