Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-01-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.
WAaHrNGrnS d @. Ian. s. Ia

the House have taken the bits be
tween their teeth and driver Cleye-
land sits helpless and unable TO stop
them IN their mad rush for the
bluffs which oyerhang the bottom
less chasm of oblivion. From the
beginning Of the extra session and
until this week Mr.. Cleveland has
managed by will power, cajolery
and patronage to absolutely control
the democratic majority, but that
control ended when a majority Of
one compelled the eleven democrats
Of the ways and means committee
to decide in favor Of per cent
tax on all incomes, individual and
corporated, Of $4,000 and over.
There can be no doubt that this
action was brought about by the
populist sentiment which so largely
controls democrats from the south
and west. Nor that it will make it
all the easier to defeat the Cleye-
land tariff bill, to which it is 10 be
attached as an amendment, along
with the increased tax on cigarettes
and whiskey and the tax on playing
cards agreed to at the same time.
The adoption Of the individual in
come tax was a direct revolt against
Mr.. Cleyeland's rule, as he has been
from the first opposed to it.
1t is not surprising that the demo
cratic bosses Of the House had de-
cided that the final vote on the
Cleveland tariff bill should be taken
on the 18th of this month; there
il so little that can be said in its
favor that they want the agony over
as soon as possible, but democratic
absenteeism has already caused
them TO extend the time until the
22d inst. Neither republicans nor
dissatisfied democrats expect that
the bill will be either defeated or
materially changed in the House,
although il ia said that Mr.. Cleve-
land will try TO muster up enough
democratic voters to defeat the in
come tax amendment. 1t is in the
Senate that the bill can and will be
defeated, if the words Of dissatis-
fed democratic Senators can be de-
pended upon, and republican Sena-
tors do not allow themselves to be
persuaded into helping dissatisfied
democrats 10 secure special amend.
ments. If the democratic Senators
can be forced to vote for or against
the bill just as it is sent from the
House there are good reasons for
believing that Hill and Murphy, of
New York: Smith, OF New Jersey,
German, Of Maryland; Faulkner, Of
w. Va, and Morgan and Pugh, Of
Alabama, will vote against it. If
they do the bill will be defeated with
two votes to spare, even if the
popuist Senators vote for it, as they
probably will on account of the in
come tax.
"a guilty conscience needs no
accuser." Although the Hawaiian
investigation ordered by the Senate
has just got fairly started, members
of the administration are already
trying to discount the effect of the
uufayorable report which they know
the facts brought out will compel
the committee 10 make, aud party
pressure is being brought to bear
ON the democrats eth the committee,
in order to get them to let Mr..
Cleveland down as easy as possible
in that report, not for his own sake
but for the good of their party. If
they keep on as they have started
they will not have amy party to
speak Of by 1896. Prof William
ID. Alexander, who has been sur
veyor general of Hawaii for twenty
years, gave important testimony to
the rommlttee, He charges that
paramount" Blouut suppressed all
the really important information he
gave him Ia Hawaii.
senator Frye introduced a reso-
luton in the Senate, rccjtiug that
in the opinion of the Senate there
should be no Interference on the
mari of this Government with