The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1895-01-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
[From Our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON. D. c., January IL, 1885,
President Cleveland and Secretary Carlisle
we're far from being pleased at the success OF
the combination of republicans, populists
and anti-administration democrats, which
resulted in the House refusing by vote of
129 to 124 to adopt the order reported from
the Committee on Rules, fixing day to vote
apon the currency reform bill but they still
believe that bill can be passed. The direct
result of that vote is the temporary laying
aside of the currency bill, but steps are being
taken which it is hoped will result in getting
the support of enough of the democrats who
voted against the rule to make the ultimate
passage of the currency bill by the House
certainty. Representative Bland, OF Mo-,
who was one of those democrats, says it will
be an easy matter to getthe support of near
ly all of them by amending the bill so as to
recognize silver. One thing now seems GER
tain. If no financial bill is passed at this
session an extra session of Congress will
have to be called.
Senator Lodge having announced his in
tention to offer an amendment to the diplo-
matte and consular appropriation bill, when
il comes up in the Senate, providing thatthe
consular service shall pass under the juris-
diction of the Civil Service Commission,
Senator Cockrell, chairman of the Appropri-
alton committee, who will have charge of
the bill, was asked if he thought the amend
ment would be adopted. NO." was his pos
tive reply. Continuing, he said, al am not
in favor of extending the Civil Service law
over any more offices. l believe that the in
tention of Congress and the spirit of the law
have already been exceeded. 1t was never
contemplated that so many branches of the
government as are now included in the class
fled service should be so. l believe both
President Cleveland and President Harrison
have exceeded their duty and authority in
this respect, and if they are going any fur
ther and take any more officials under this
humbug system, propose they go the whole
hog, and include the heads of bureaux,
members of Cabinet, and the President him
self. do not see why we should except the
President from civil service examination,
if we are going to include all the rest of the
executive officers of the government"
1t will be interesting to note how many
republican newspapers will be honest enough
to give the administration proper credit for
having compelled the government of Spain
to remove the discrimination of rs cents
barrel against -four shipped from the United
Statas to Cuba. This diplomatic victory was
not easily won, but President Cleveland and
Secretary Gresham decided that won it must
be, and Minister Taylor was instructed to in
form the Spanish government that it must
choose between removing the discrimination
against our -four and having Cuban sugar
shut out of the United States, and that the
choice must be made quick. The Spanish
government is notoriously slow in reaching
a conclusion upon anything, but in this case
it "got move on" and quickly chose to
abolish that discrimination.
Senator Voorhees,, chairman of the Senate
Finance committee, refused to grant a hear
ing te Coxey on his good roads and non-in-
terest bearing bond scheme, on the ground
that it would be an absolute waste of time, as
the committee would not attemptto consider
the matter. Coxey was granted hearing
before subcommittee of the House COM
mittee on Ways and Means, consisting of
Bryan, of Nebraska Dalzel, of Pennsylva-
mia Whiting of Michigan, and McMillin, of
Tennessee, but there is no probability that
any recommendation will be made by the
subcommittee.
Secretary Carlisle's Interpretation of that
clause of the new tariff law which repealed
the Mckinley sugar bounty-that it put an
immediate stop to the payment of bounties
has been unanimously sustained by the
Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia,
in test cast. And the court also decides
that the sugar bounty was unconstitutional,
two out of its three judges asserting nor dis
senting, because of his belief that it was un-
necessary to pass on the constitutionality of
the bounty at this time.
Representative Sibley, of Pennsylvania,
who was elected to the House by democratic
votes, but who long ago proclaimed himself
to be a republican on the tariff and popu-
list on the finance question, disgraced him
self and his constituents by making per-
sonal attack upon President Cleveland, in a
speech in the House, which was one of the
coarsest, most vulgar, and most ungentle-
manly ever made in Congress. Opinion is
divided as to whether he is half way crazy
or merely seeking notoriety, and pity and
disgust are the sentiments respectively held
concerning him.