The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-12-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent

WASHlNGTON, ~. O.s OeceInuor A1S 1oo4'
Secretary Carlisle is so thoroughly satisfied
that the more his currency reform bill is
studied and discussed the stronger it will be,
both in and out of Congress, that he used his
influence with the House committee on Rules
to prevent the original plan, of voting on the
bill before adjournment for the Christmas
recess, being carried out. He never did a
thing that displayed better judgment. The
bill is now before the country and the debate
in the House this week will furnish an in
telligent basis for argument, both for and
against the measure, and the time between
the Christmas adjournment-next Saturday
and the reassembling of Congress-Wed-
nesday, January 5-will be well put in by
members of the House in studying how the
bill may be improved also, in learning what
their constituents think of it. The informa
ton thus acquired may be put to good use
in the democratic caucus which it is proposed
to hold on the bill as soon as Congress re-
turns to Washington.
The California Association of this city,
this week held reception and gave ban
quet in honor of Representative James G.
Mcguire, of California, one of the few re-
west of the Mississippi River. The Single
Tax Society, of which Judge Mcguire is an
honored member, assisted in making things
pleasant for the large number of guests
present.
Gov. Renfrow, of Oklahoma, is doing his
level best to fill Congressional ears with the
idea that Oklahoma ought to be State. He
points out the existence of population of
1000, growing cities, a tip-top public
school system, good newspapers, land in fact
everything found in the most progressive of
the old States, and demands any good reason
for denying statehood to the territory.
Senator Hill's speech in favor of cloiure
in the Senate was good one, filled with ex-
cellent arguments in favor of cloture, but it
did not change the views of any Senator, and
there is no probability of any change in the
Senate rules at this session that will even
squint towards cloture, although it is gener-
ally believed that the republicans will adopt
cloture should they regain control of the
Senate.
The question of whether Little Billy
Malone is more powerful than Congress was
revived this week by the ettempt that is being
made by the committee on Public Buildings
and Grounds of the and Senate to agree upon
site for new Government Printing Office.
For four years Malone has been powerful
enough to prevent any steps being taken to-
wards the erection Of a G. P. o., because the
House would not agree to buy at $1.50 some
ground he bought for about 15 cents foot,
and upon which he has not for years paid
one cent of taxes. His hold upon Republi-
| can Senators is doubtless largely political,
but it is suspected that his hold upon demo-
cratic Senators who belong, as Malone him
self does, to what is locally known as '' John
Chamberlain's poker playing crowd" is
based upon something very different. At
any rate his influence has proven more pow
erful in this matter than it was anything
when he held the balance of power in the
Senate and made the notorious bargain that
landed him in the republican party His
control of this matter has been very CALLING
to democrats generally, and "a strong effort is
being made to end it.
The Dockery Congressional Commission,
which has already done SO much to reform
departmental business and to cut off need
less expenditures, never made better rec
rate bureaus of the Coast and Geodetic Sur
vey and the Geological Survey, turning as
much of the work they have been engaged
in as may be considered desirable to continue
over to the survey division of the General
Land Office. The so-called scientists? who
have for years drawn big salaries for very
small amount of work are, of course, very
indignant at the proposed abolition of so
many sinecures all neatly covered by the
cloak of science. But it is apparent that
these two bureaus have cost great deal of
money and that there is next to nothing to
show for it. Congress clipped the wings of
the Geological Survey year ago by cutting
its appropriation in half, and thereby spotted
number of previously arranged summer
excursions, upon which it had been
common for the scientists" to take mem
bers of their families, not only having their
expenses paid, but in many cases getting
them on the pay roll as " assistants" These
GO scientists" own big club house in the
fashionable part of town and WELD an enor-
nous social 'tpull," which is now being
worked against the recommendations of the
Dockery Commission.