Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-01-16
ST A YEAR IN ADVANCE
WASHINGTON LETTER.
lFrom Our Special Correspondents
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. Z, '95.

'he control OF the Democratic majority
in Congress and of the administration.
Instead of returning from their holi-
day in more united condition the
Democrats are, if such thing be pos.
sible, wider apart on the financial oues-
tion than they were when the recess
adjournment was taken. Debate was
resumed in the House on the Currency
Bill without any idea of what is to be
the outcome. The men who ought to
be the leaders of the Democrats are in
doubt not only as to what they ought
to do, but also as to what following
they will have should they decide upon
what to attempt. Some are advising
the holding of caucus and others are
saying that caucus will only aggra-
vate the existing division. Mr.. Cleve-
land has intimated quite strongly that
he has mind to send special message
to Congress, pleading for some patriotic,
non partisan financial legislation, and
his cabinet is understood to be divided
as to the advisability of such course
on his part.
The situation has not been improved
by the apparently well grounded rumor
that j. Pierpont Morgan, a New York
banker, had called upon Mr.. Cleveland,
as the representative of the syndicate
of bankers which floated the last bond
issue, and formally requested that Sec
retary Carlisle be dismissed from the
head of the Treasury Department, ON
the ground that he had failed to keep
faith with the bankers aud that he
lacks the capacity to successfully han
die the financial affairs of the country.
OF course no one expects this to result
in the removal of Secretary Carlisle,
but it has added another complication
to situation that was already entirely
too much complicated.
Republicans in Congress had no hand
in making the epresent financial muddle
and they do not consider it their duty
to take any part in clearing up matters.
They are at present merely interested
onlookers, waiting to see whether the
Democrats will be able to produce any
thing tangible out of the choas now
prevailing. At present although the
Carlisle Currency. Bill is nominally be-
fore the House for general debate there
is no certainty that it may not without
an hours notice be succeeded by an
other bill of an entirely different ma
ture. When the Democrats have shown
what sort of bill they really intend
to try to pass, if they ever do, the Re-
publicans will be ready to meet it with
a definite declaration, something that
it is at present useless to make. Among
the changes proposed to. be made in the
Carlisle Currency Bill is one for the is
sue of $500, ,O00, 900 in 2 1-2 cent bonds,
to be used for the retirement of the
greenbacks and Treasury notes. 1t is
stated Mr.. Cleveland has endorsed the
idea, but be has not done so publicly.
Senator Mitchell, of Oregon, thinks
it very doubtful whether the Carlisle
Currency Bill can be forced through
the House and says of its chance in the
Senate: II do not see how it could get
through the Senate. The plans which
have been presented 80 far are most
unsatisfactory and will require thor
ough discussion of the best method of
remedying existing conditions before
any bill can be formulated that will be
satisfactory, and there isn't time for
that" When asked whether there
would be an extra session of Congress,
the Senator said: mot unless the Dem
ocrats force it. The Republicans will
do nothing to delay action. We will
not even fight against the appropriation
for the execution of the income tax.
We believe that the tax is odious and
ought not to be enforced, but as the
Democrats have placed it upon the
statute books, it may, perhaps, be a
good thing to let the country see just
how unpleasant it is. There will be
speeches against it, but no factious op.
position" .
Representative Russell, of Connecti-
cut, Republican member of the House
Committee on Banking and Currency,
does not believe that the Treasury can
get any relief from financial legisla-
ton, no matter what it's nature, until
the tariff has been rearranged on the
lines of protection and sufficient reve-
nue. provided to meet the needs of the
Government. He recognizes, rs do
most unprejudiced students of the e.
nancial situation, that those two bond
issues would have been made even If
no Treasury notes or greenbacks had
ever been presented for redemption in
J gold. In short, that while those bond
issues were nominally made to replenish
the gold reserve they wore in reality
made to meet the deficit caused by the
new tariff law. AS to the financial
bill now before the House, Mr.. Russell
believes that the administration can
force it through the House, but has his
doubts about whether Mr.. Cleveland
will care to do so, now that he has had
an opportunity to learn what the coun-
try thinks of it.
Mrs. Benedict-Now what would you
do, Mr.. De Batch, if you had baby
that cried for the moonp
De Batch (grimly)-Id do the next
I hest thin o. for him madam IA rnaLa