The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-02-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

Mr.. EDIToR:-T anti-silver repub-
lican senators are about the most dis
gusted lot of men in Washington. They
had planned to whip their silver col
leagues into line for the support of the
House tariff bill, and for that reason
they allowed the free coinage substitute
for the House bond bill to 90 through
the Senate without attempting to de-
lay it. They knew that the House
would kill it, as it will actually do this
week, and thought that they would
then be able to rush the tariff bill
through theSenate without amendment
They first learned their mistake when
the Finance Committee reported that
same free coinage bill, word for word.
as substitute for the House tariff bill
They now want that substitute sent
back to the Finance Committee. but
that will do them no good. unless they
can get Senator Jones, of Nevada. the
member of the Committee who holds
the balance ofpower, to change his vote,
and that isn't considered probable. 1t
now looks very much as though Presi-
dent Cleveland would be saved the
trouble of writing veto of that tariff
bill
One of the best speeches, from a
strictly democratic point Of view. made
during the debate on the free coinage
substitute for the House bond bill,
which closed today, was by Reprcsen-
tative Bartlett, of Georgia, and it
wasn't long speech, either. Mr.. Bart
lett is silver man, but he made it dis
tinctly understood that he was above
all other things a democrat-in his own
words, Il want to say that whether in
the majority or minority, wherever the
democratic flag floats, there will be my
standard" He was still more emphat-
ic when Mr.. Skinner, of North Carroll
ma, asked him would he support gold
candidate Oh a gold platform. if the
Chicago convention should put forth
such. II will, replied Mr.. Bartlett.
vote for any man whom the majority
OF the democrats nominate in conven-
ton"
Senator Frye was unanimously elect
cd President pro TEN. of the Senate
and republican caucus has nominated
the other officers, but inasmuch as there
is doubt Of their ability to elect them,
they have not decided when they will
make the attempt.
Although the republicans have not
yet secured a majority in the Senate
they have already began to fill the in
cubatOr with eNtravagant schemes. to
be Matched out by the aid of future leg
iSlatiOn. One of these schemes was
proposed to the republican senatorial
caucus by that eminent grab-bag states
man, George Fill-me-up Hoar, of Mass
achusetts, whose cherub-like counte-
nance never beams quite so dazzlinglv
as when he sees new opportunity to
run his hand into the National Treas
ury. His new scheme provides that
the United States Government. which
already pays Senators salary of So
900 a year, mileage to and from their
homes-a clean pick up to those who
ride on passes, and most of them do.
allows them a liberal amount for sta
tionary, etc, and hires clerk for each
OF them, shall furnish every senator
with valet-nO, beg pardon, messen-
ger is what Senator Hoar said, but af-
ter all valet is probably what he meant.
\ proposition more needlessly extrav-
agant was never proposed to either
branch of Congress, but the republican
caucus took it seriously enough to APP
point Senators Allison. Elkins and
Chandler, a committee to consider i
and report to the next caucus.
President Cleveland did not make
any recommendation when he sent the
report of the Nicaragua Canal Com
mission to Congress, but the untavor-
able nature of that report, concerning
the building Of the canal under exist
ing plans, makes it well-nigh certain
that no bill authorizing the guarantee
Of bonds to be issued by the present
Canal Company can become a law.
The anti-prizetghting bill. putting
heavy penalty upon those who engage
in fstic contests for money in any of
the territories or in the District of Co
lnmbia, gave the country an excellent
idea Of how easily and how quickly
Congress can act when so disposed. This
bill went through the House and Sen
ate without a dissenting vote and was
promptly s!ngned by the President all
within forty eight hours.
The results of the bidding for those
bonds are in the main satisfactory to
the administration. but there are good
reasons for the belief that President
Cleveland and Secretary Carlisle very
reluctantly awarded any portion ofthe
bonds to the Morgan syndicate: but
inasmuch as the subscriptions in excess
Of the bid Of that syndicate only took
about two-thirds Of the issue. there was
nothing else that could be fairly done
but to award the others to that svndi-
cate. Although more than three-tourths
Of the bonds have been awarded to New
\ Ork bidders that does not mean that
so large percentage Of the bonds as
that will 90 there. Bidders from all
sections Of the country forward their
bids through their financial .correspon-
dents in New York. Wherever they
90 and whatever becomes of them it is
hoped that these will be the last bonds
ever issued by the United States in
time ofpeace.
President Cleveland spent Saturday
down the Potomac. shooting ducks. so
another wave Of abuse of him NAV be
expected from the usual sources.
The civil service bill is bitter pill for
the Republicans in the House of Deleratcs