Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-07-31
WASHINGTON LETTER.
[From Our Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. c., July, 20, '95.

which is being fred at them from all
directions. A few of them, Secretaries
Carlisle and Lamont, 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 Hamp.
ton, who performs the light duties and
draws the heavy salary of Railroad
Commissioner. In trying to escape re-
sponsibility for an interview with him
printed in a North Carolina paper,
which quoted him as saying that he
had personal knowledge of Mr.. Cleve.
lands intention to be a candidate
again, the old gentleman has got him
self hopelessly tangled up. He &C
knowledges having expressed the opin.
ion that If the financial question should
result in party splits the gold Demo.
Gratis would insist upon running Mr..
Cleveland again. But why this dodg-
ingF If Mr.. Cleveland is not schening
to capture the Democratic nomination
again, why do such close friends of his
as Secretaries Carlisle and Lamont neg.
lect such good opportunities as they
have both recently had to stop the dis
cussion by an authoritative announce
ment that Mr.. Cleveland is not a can
didate for the nomination. And why
does Mr.. Cleveland not say something
on the subjectp He has found it easy
to lay aside Presidential dignity and
say other things which would better
have been left unsaid. There ia but
one explanation Of all this lodging. Mr..
Cleveland is a candidate, but is not
ready to avow his candidacy, believing
that he a 80 manipulate things as to
make it appear that his party forces
him to run again. Mistaken judgment,
both in belief and in being willing 10
be a candidate to certain defeat.
BY a 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 without ques.
ton to pass upon the constitutionality
of acts of Congress carrying a%ppropria.
tions. For weeks the administration
has been trying to find an excuse to
keep the more than five and a quarter
million dollars appropriated at the last
session of Congress to pay sugar boun.
ties in the Treasury. This discovery
furnished the excuse. Comptroller
Bowler, q little man with a head easily
swelled, required no persuasion 10 at,
tempt to follow in the autocratic foot
steps Of some Of the earlier Comptrol.
lers. He notified the parties in whose
favor the first voucher against thai
sugar bounty appropriation was drawn
that he had doubts about the Constitu
tionality of the sugar bounty, forget
ting the millions paid out for that pur.
pose with his approval, and would,
next month, hear arguments as to why
the money should not be held up
The arguing the question will be use
less, unless Bowler gets frightened and
refuses to play the part assigned him
There is likely to be music in the ali
on this subject. In fact, there is already.
The Louisiana Senators, and one OF
two of the Representative are now in
Washington-the greater part of tina
appropriation would 60 to their con
stituents-and they tried to read the
riot act to Secretary Carlisle, but ht
sneaked out by telling them he had nc
authority over the Comptroller. The
Louisianians think they have beer
buncoed, and when Bowler decides
that appropriation to be unconstitu
tional, as he will if he doesn't weaken
they may have something interesting
to say to the public. The ~administra
ton doesn t care whether Bowler's de
cision shall afterwards be upset by tn,
courts or not; all 1t wants is to hold OF
to that money for a time.
Senator Blackburn, of Kentucky
who has been in Washington, gave thu
newspaper men a shock they will no
recover from for some time by refusing
to talk. Think of Joe Blackburn 3 re
fusiug to talk. If Senator Stewart
should refuse to be interviewed on the
silver question it would not be NOR
surprising. 1t is known, however, tina
Blackburn is very bitter towards thu
administration and especially towardl
Secretary Carlisle and from an offer tt
wager money made by one of hi
friends who is a sort of a sporting char
acter it seems that he talked to some
body, if not the newspaper men. Thil
man said he vas prepared to bet from
800 to $1,000 that the next Senator
from Kentucky would either be JOE
Blackburn or a Republican, and sew
eral of Blackburn's other Washington
friends have intimated that he would
rather be succeeded in the Senate by 9
Republican than by any administration
Democrat. Mind you, 1 do not say
that Blackburn is responsible for what
his friends say and do, but il is fair Il
infer that they are more or less infu
enced by what he has told them abour
the situation of Kentucky. Republi
!, can advices from that State are denid