Crawford avalanche., 1895-08-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.


Term QuesClOu Wnlcn IL DelnR urou ~
them from all directions. A few of
them, secretaries Carlisle and La
mont, for instance, know, and dodge
for reasons OF their own, while the
rest of them are afraid of committing
themselves to the wrong side of the
question. To the latter class belongs
ex-senator Wade Hampton, who per-
forms the light duties and draws the
heavy salary of Railroad Commission
er. In trying to escape responsibility
for an interview with him printed in
a North Carolina paper, which quoted
him as saying that he had personal
knowledge of Mr.. Cleveland's inten-
tion TO be candidate again, the old
gentleman has got himself hopelessly
tangled up He acknowledges hav-
ing expressed the opinion that il the
a lnancial question should result in
party splits the gold democrats
would insist upon running Mr.. Cleve-
land again. But why this lodging?
II Mr.. Cleveland is not scheming to
capture the democratic nomination
again, why do such close friends OF
his as Secretaries Carlisle and La
mont neglect such good opportunities
as they have both recently had to
stop the discussion by an authorita-
tive announcement that Mr. Cleve-
land Is not candidate for the nom
nation? And why does Mr. Cleve-
land himself not say something on h ,
subject? He has found it easy to
lay aside presidential dignity and say
other things which would better have
been left unsaid Mr., Cleveland Is
a candidate, but is not ready to avow
his crndidacy, believing that he can
SO manipulate things as to make it
appear that his parry forces him to
run again. Mistaken judgment,
both in belief and in being willing to
be candidate to certain defeat
BY patient search Of musty docu-
ments relating to the early years of
the government it was discovered
that the Comptroller had in certain
instances assumed the authority with
out question to pass upon the consti-
tutionality Of acts Of Congress carry
ing appropriations. For weeks the
administration has been trying to
find an excuse to keep the more than
five and quarter million dollars ap-
propriated at the last session of Con-
greSs to pay sugar bounties in the
Treasury. This discovery furnished
the excuse. Comptroller Bowler, a
little man with a head easily swelled,
required no persuasion to attempt to
follow in the autocratic footsteps of
some OF the earlier comptrollers. He
uotifled the parties in whose favor the
first voucher against thatsugar boun-
ty appropriation was drawn that he
had doubts about the Constitutional
ity Of the Sugar bounty. forgetting
the millions paid out for that pur-
pose with his approval. and would,
next month, hear arguments as to
why the money sh ,uld not be held up.
The arguing question will be useless,
unless Bowler gets frightened and
refuses to play the part assigned him.
There is likely to be music in the air
)n this subject In fact, there is al
'eady. The Louisiana Senators, and
me or two of the representatives are
low in Washington-the greater
part of that appropriation would 20
o their constituents-and they tried
20 read the riot act to Secretary Car
isle, but he sneaked out by telling
hem he had no authority over the
The Louisianans
hink they have been bun oed, and |
when Bowler decides that appropria-
ion to be unconstitutional, as he |
will If he dosen't weaken, they may
ave something in te resting to say to
he public. The administra-
ion doesn't care whether Bowl srs de-
ision shall afterwards be upset by |
he courts or not; all it wants is to
lold onto that money for time.
Senator Blackburn, of Kentucky,
vho has been in Washington, gave
he newspaper men shock they will |
lot recover from for some time by re-
using to talk. Think of Joe Black
'urn refusing to talk. If Senator
stewart should refuse to be inter-
iewed on the silver question it
Vould not be more surprising. 1t Is
.nown, however, that Blackburn is
cry bitter towards the administra-
ion ard especially towards Secretary
,arlisle and from an offer to wager
money made by one Of his friends who
, a sort of a sporting character it
Gems that he talked to somebody IL
lot to the newspaper men. This
lan said he was prepared to bet from
100 to s. OO0 that the next Senator
rom Kentucky would either be Joe