The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-01-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

ASHINGToN, ID. u, December 30.
Mr.. EDIToR:-Speaker Reed was given
a taste of what sort of a job he has on his
hands when that bond bill was put through
the House, and the result was probably one
of the worst half hours he ever spent. He
won, and the bill went through by a ma
jority of thirty-three, but if the vote could
have been put off until to-day it is believed
he would have lost and the bill have been
defeated, instead OF being sent over to the
Senate to die by being smothercd bv
amendments 1t was not a coincidence
that the revolving republicans were most
ly Mckinley men. 1t was on the contrary
IA very plain lntimaton to Mr. Reed that
the Mcklnleyltes intend to make thinks
unpleasant for him whenever they get an
opportunity. Another notable thing about
this short out sharp skirmish was the indi-
| cation OF an understanding having been
| reached between the Reed and Allison re-
publicans of the House. Mr. Reed is
doubtless very glad that the House con-
Guided to make this week holiday. 1t
| will give him time to pull himself together
and arrange his program.
The reorganization of the Senate COM
mites has been all arranged and this week
the republicans will take charge, but it is
not certain whether they will elect the Of
Cleveland will, on January 4th, issue his
proclamation declaring Utah state, and
| the republicans expect its legislature which
| will convene on the 9th to elect two re-
publican Senators at once. They may wait
| for the arrival of those two Senators be-
| fore e'evting the officers of the Senate
| They have made deal with the populists
| but they are still afraid to trust too much
| to them.
Congress has by a joint resolution which
passed without opposition authorized the
| Secretary of the Navy to accept the ram
| Katahdin, which was rejected by the Presi-
| dent for failure to make the speed requir-
ad in the contract, at the contract price
it having been shown that the builders
were not to blame, they having construct
ed the vessel on government plans.
Representative johnson of California is
one of the republican members of the House
| who openly kicked against the bond and
tariff bills forced upon the majority of the
House by the will and power of Speaker
Reed. Mr.. Johnson voted for the tariff
| bill under protest, but he with forty-six
| other republicans refused to vote for the
| bond bill, which he declared gave the lie
to every principle and precept of the re-
publican party, and in doing so he said
"A gainst my will, against my protest,
voted for a bill tariff which in my judy
ment was unnecessary, which in my judy
ment was not a republican measure, which
| in my judgment did not meet the case,
which in my judgment was not what we
| were sent here to do Let us be
consistent with our record. Let us stand
by the rule which we adopted many years
! ago that we will not issue bonds in time
of peace
There is little doubt in the minds of
many that majority of the democrats in
the House want Reed to get the republican
nomination for President. Why, doesn't
matter at this stage of the game. A prom
| inent democratic member of the House
says this feeling is so strong among the
democrats of that body that he believes
they would not hesitate to help Reed if it
became probable that any of his opponents
| for the nomination were trying to put
anything through the House for the pur-
pose of handicapping Reed before the Re
| publican National Convention, if such help
was needed to beat the scheme. Needless
to say it isn't love for Reed which actuates
| them
Senator Voorhees, says he doesn't see the
need for upsetting the business of the coun-
| try by a prolonge debate on the tariff bill
| that has passed the House, and that he will
endeavor to get the bill to a vote as soon
| as possible The Senate committee on FL
nance will take up the bill at once, and of
| its action Senator Noorhees who was chair
man of the committee under the democrat
ic organization of the Senate, said: Il think
the bill will be reported back to the Senate
almost Immediately. But, then, you can't
tell what will happen. There are some
crumbs lying around, and every protec-
Zionist is after all he can get. There is no
disposition on the part of democrats to de-
Law action on the bill. If delay comes 1t
will be from the other side Senator
Voorhees,, is of course, strongly opposed
to the bill.
Postmaster General Wilson has been Civ
| ing the fraudulent advertisers a shaking
up and the result is that quite number of
them have been shut out of the mail. The
Post Office people do their level best to