Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-06-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Special Correspondent

~ >NN''N WV nv
vit~uperatiou, and no hesitation. Move
than three fourlhs of the Senators and
Representatives believed the bill to be
in the interests of better commercial
facilities for the whole country and it
was passed over the veto, and is today
the law of the land.
Unless Speaker Reed changes his
mind, and he isn't in the habit OF doing
that. he will under no circumstances
accept The nomination for Vice Pres
ident, This does not mean that he is
suiking because Gov. Mckinley will
get the honor he sought-he has yet to
learn how to sulk-but that he hasn't
the slightest desire to fill the Office of
Vice President, To any one at all
familiar with public affairs in Wash
ington it is needless to say that there
is no comparison from any point of
view, between the Vice Presidency,
which carries neither influence nor
power, and the Speakership of the
House, which carries more power and
influence than any office, except the
Presidency, under our government.
And Mr., Reed can be Speaker as long
as he wants to, and the Republicans
retain control of the House.
Congress is making good progress
towards finishing up the appropriation
bills, aud adjournment will certainly
come next week, as nothing else of
Importance is likely to be taken up at
this session. 1t may be early in the
week or it may be late, but it will be
before its close.
The Hou-e committee on Library has
made a favorable report ON the bill,
already passed by the Senate, for the
creation of a permanent artcommission.
to pass upon al! works of art before
their purchase by the government.
Strong reports were this week sub.
mitted to both House and Senate in
favor OF the Nicaragua Canal bill. 1t
is not the idea of tie friends of this bill
to try 10 push il through at the present
session OF Congress, but an effort will
be made to pass it ut the short session.
There is 10 doubt of favorable action
on the bill by the Senate. and its
friends think it can pass the House.
There is a strong suspicion that Gen.
Fit". Lee was acting under orders hen
he delayed his departure for Cuba until
Congress was about to adjourn, and
that the reason for his being sent there
as U. S. Consul General will not be APP
parent until after Congress ia out of
the way. That Mr.. Cleveland intends
to slring some sort of a surprise on the
country in connection with Cuba is
believed by some of the shire WIDEST men
in Washington, but he has kept his
secret well, and its nature can only be
guessed Mt. 1t is thought to have been
indicated when Senator Morgan recent
~ pointed out the danger to this coun
try of the President Assuming the
authority to decide questions which
may lead to war without referring them
to Congress, and also Mr.. Cleveland S
interview with a subcommittee of the
Senate committee on Foreign Relations,
when he intimated that he would
rather recognize the absolute indepen-
dance of Cuba than to recognize the
insurgents as belligerents. Whatever
Mr.. Cleveland intends doing it is prob
able that he will wait until just before
the meeting of the Chicago convention
to do it. The certainty that the silver
Democrats will control that conven.
ton has not shaken his third term aspi
r%ations, nor his belief that he can so
manipulate things rs to capture the
nomination for himself,
The nomination of a pronounced
silver man to be postmaster at Rome,
Ga, is taken to meau that Mr.. Cleve,
land regards Hoke Smith fight against
the silver Democrats in that state nc
already as good as lost. The nomina.
ton was on the President desk for
several weeks before being sent to the
Senate, and it was reported that Mr.,
Cleveland told the Georgia Senators
that he would not nominate a silver
man for the place, and that he was in.
formed that the nomination of a man
who was opposed to silver would not
be confirmed by the Senate. Perhaps
Mr.. Cleveland has made up his mind
to try to come to terms with the silver
Democrats, since Hoke Smith got back
and told him that Georgia was going
for silver.
The Butler bill prohibiting further
issue of bonds Without the sanction oil
Congress passed the Senate by a vote
of 80 to %. 10 Republicans voted fol
and 10 against it. aud II Democrats tol
aud 0 against it. That will be the last
of the bill, rs the House committee on
Ways and Means made on ad, erse re,
port upon it and the House promptly
voted to lay it on the table, and there
it will stay.