Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-12-30
WASHINGTON LETTER
CFrom Our Special Correspondent,
WASHINGTON, D. G., Dec. rs, 'se.

WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 25, '9e.
Secretary Olney will do we'll to en-
Joy the Christmas congratulations of
Mr.. Cleveland and his fellow members
OF the Cabinet, on his course towards
the resolution for Cuban independence,
as he may not he able to extract any
enjoyment out of what's said and done
by Congress about it when the holiday
recess is over. There was no animosity
shown towards Secretary Olney for
taking the ground that the right of
recognition belongs alone to the Presi.
dent, because some of the ablest men
in Congress hold the same views, but
unless he can explain away the charge
openly made in the newspapers on both
sides of the Atlantic, that he person
ally assured the Spanish Minister that
no action whatever would be taken by
this administration upon Cuban mat
tiers no matter what Congress might do,
he may find himself in a very unpleas-
ant ~predicament when Congress reas.
sembles, regardless Of any action or
lack OF action upon the Cuban resolu.
ton. If he can not prove that he did
not make such communication to the
Spanish Minister he may find himself
confronted with the charge of high
treason, and If that charge is proven 1t
would make him liable to impeach-
ment, and as a matter Of principle
Congress might decide to impeach him
as o warning to future Secretaries of
State to be mor guarded, instead Of
allowing him to retire from office on
the 4th of March. Under ordinary cir
cumstances the necessity for passing
the regular appropriation bills and the
lack of time would be an argument
against an impeachment trial, but that
argument would not carry as much
weight as usual at this session, because
there will be an extra session OF the
next Congress convened soon after
President McKinley's Inauguration
anyway, and any appropriation bills
not acted upon at this session could
easily be passed ct the extra session in
time to make them available at the
usual time, July l.
Rail and scott at sentiment as much
as you please, but it doesn't require
Christmas to prove that sentiment
plays a large part in the lives of most
of US. Senator Callinger's sentiment
a always be aroused by appealing to
his patriotism, so it is not surprising to
find him working for such a choice com.
bination of patriotism and sentiment as
the proposed rebuilding of the histori
cal battleship Constitution, immortal
lied rs "Old lronsldes," now lying at
the Portsmouth IN. H. navy yard in
almost q sinking condition. Gallinger
says he intends doing his best to con.
vince Congress that ''Old Ironsidesn
ought to be rebuilt and kept forever
afioat, as a monument to the heroism
of American sailors.
In passing the Legislative, Executive
and Judicial appropriation bill before
adJourning for the holiday recess the
House did what has never been done
before by any Congress. There ia no
question about the House having earn.
ed its holiday, and the Senate-well,
come to think of the manner In which
the Senate is divided up politically, it
is surprising, not that it doesn't do
more business, but that it does any
b usiness at all.
Ex.Queen Lii, in search of q pension,
of Hawaii, passed through Washing.
ton last night, en- route for Boston. She
did not leave the train, but it is under
stood that she will come to Vanishing.
ton later on.
The Republican members of the
House Committee on Ways and Means
are working during the Congressional
recess on the tariff bill. The two weeks
hearing upon the various schedules of
the bill will begin Monday.
WV uuil VI bp6ut
their Christmas day in Washington,
but most of them will take advantage
of the recess to do a little visiting at
their homes or elsewhere.
Senator Hale, who will lead the fight
that is to be made in the Senate on the
resolution recognizing the indepen.
dence of Cuba, says. Il was sorry to
see that | had been quoted as saying
in a boastfnl that we should
be able to defeat the resolution on a
vote. | would not want to claim that
result at the present time, but l hope
for it in the end. Indeed, I am receiv.
ing assurances from influential Sena.
tors every day of sympathy with the
movement in opposition to the resolu
ton, and l believe the sentiment in the
country is rapidly veering that way.
OF course there are meetings and reso.
lutions on the other side, but one can
gather men together in advocacy OF
any cause and get signatures to almost
any kind of petition. My contention
is that the business men and thinking
men of the country are opposed to any
step that is liable to plunge the coun.
try into war, In my own State, for
instance, there is only one prominent
newspaper which advocates the reso-