The Coconino weekly sun., 1896-01-09
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
IrRoM our REGULAR CORRESPONDENT

ment banneri mat question has oeen
asked great many times since Sem
ator Sherman introduced a resolution
which, after denounciug the Demo
cratic Congress for reducing the re-
ceipts of the government below the
amount needed for its expenses, says
that greenbacks presented for redemp.
ton i'll gold shall not be reissued except
for gold. Senator Sherman made a
speech in favor of that resolution to.
day. lie of course denies that the
intention is to provide for the retire.
ment Of the greenbacks, which he says
he is opposed to, and claims that it
would not result in their retirement,
because the knowledge that they would
be retired if presented for redemption
would prevent their being presented.
That argument is by no means con-
vincing to those who refuse to accept
Mr.. Sherman as financial Solomon.
The prediction is made that if Mr..
Sherman's resolution is ever reported
back to the Senate from the finance
committee, to which it will be sent, it
will be so amended as to provide for
the issue of silver certificates to the
value of the greenbacks redeemed. In
that shape it might be adopted by the
Senate, as it Is now it coald not be.
There is much feeling in Congress
concerning the manner in which Presi-
dent Cleveland, while supposed to be
awaiting relief from Congress in answer
to his special message which kept Con
gress in session during the holidays, has
gone right ahead and made deal with
syndicate of bankers for an issue of
bonds. Many congressman, some of
them men who have stuck to Cleveland
through thick and thin, think the
president has shown unjustifable disre-
spect for the legislative branch of the
government, in assuming that it would
not do as much to protect the credit of
the government as he would, and some
have not hesitated to express the opin-
ION that he did not want Congress to
act, because he preferred to sell more
bonds, and that his special message was
sent in so he could put the blame for
the bond issue on Congress. One result
of this feeling is resolution offered by
Senator Elkins of West Virginia de-
claring it to be the sense of the Senate
that no United States bonds should be
sold at private sale or by private con.
tract, but that they should be adver-
tised and sold to the highest bidder.
There are men in Congress who would
defend MIR. Cleveland and the admin
istration if they were sufficiently in the
presidents confidence to know how TO
do it, but it is notorious fact that
leading Democrats in both House and
Senate often get their first intimation
Of the Administrations intentions from
Republicans. The result is that Sen.
ator Hill, who is virtually free lance
in the Senate, although Democrat at
home, has said more in defense of the
administration at the present session
of Congress than any other man in
either House or Senate, and it is well
known that he isn't even an official Wis
itor to the White House.
The House took holiday this week,
although it held nominal sessions Tues.
day and Friday, The Senate has been
In session every day except Wednesday
and Thursday, but with the exception
of the transfer Of the control of It's CON-
mittees from the Democrats to the Re
publicans it has accomplished little,
although steps have been taken in sew
eral directions that may lead to impor-
tant things.
The Senate finance committee, which
took up the tariff bill passed by the
House as soon as its reorganization was
completed, is expected to report that
measure back to the Senate immedi.
ately. Then fight will begin which
may be long or short, according to cir
cumstances. The general belief is that
the tariff bill will pass the Senate in
some shape. Then the bond bill, also
in the hands of the finance committee,
will have turn.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts, is
not usually classed as a conservative
upon any question, but by general con-
sent the closing words of his speech on
the Monroe doctrine have been accepted
as a conservative statement of the no.