Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-02-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WAcur,ccroNr Fab 90 1907

W AcuA1NOAOcN9 4 VNsSA AoOts
Hon. w. ]. Bryan will visit Washington
this week, but he will not probably stay
until Inauguration Day. He will be the
guest of Mr.. John R. Mclean, who will
give dinner to about one hundred guests
in his honor. This dinner will not be a
political event, as the guests will include
number of personal friends of Mr.. Byran
in all the parties. But during Mr.. Bryan's
stay there will be conference, perhaps
several, to discuss the immediate future of
the Democratic party.
Senator Daniel, of Va. lis one of the best
elocutionists in the Senate, consequently
Washington's farewell address, which. in
accordance with the usual resolution was
read Immediately after the Senate convened,
in honor of Washington's Birthday, was
much better rendered than usual, and was
listened to by an unusually large number
of Senators, in addition to the crowded
galleries.
1t is unfortunate in more senses than
one that there should be an investigation
at this time into an act of the. administra-
ton by which the step-father of the Pre-
sident's wife will be largely benefited.
And every body sincerely wishes that the
Senate Committee on Public Land will find
everything straight about the Florida land
patent for $4,000 acres, which was recently
issued to Mr.. Perrine, the husband of Mrs.
Cleveland's mother, and which the COM
mittee is now investigating. Ext Congressman
Brookshire of Indiana, is counsel for the
settlers on this land, who claim that the
grant was forfeited many years ago.
The Civil Services Commission has made
answer to Senator Aliens resolution,
adopted by the Senate last week, as to the
alleged dismissal of two women from a
branch of the Agricultural Department, at
South Omaha, Nebr., for displaying pic
lures of Mr.. Bryan in the late campaign.
The answer says the commission inves-
tigated the complaint when first made
and that Secretary Morton denied that
the discharges were made for the cause
specified, or that he knew the politics of
those discharged. The most significant
portion of the answer, especially to those
In Office who regard themselves as being
protected by the Civil Service Commission,
is the following: The Commission is not
an appointing or reinstatiDg, or removing
body"
Representative McRae, of Arkansas, who
was one of the Democratic members of the
Coinage Committee who voted for the
favorable report, with amendments, of the
Senate bill authorizing the President to
appoint delegates for any international
monetary conference, called by any nation
or by himself, took occasion to briefly state
the attitude of the Democrats toward the
bill. He said the Democrats had no faith
whatever in such a method of bringing
about the free coinage of silver, but that
they had no desire to place any obstacle in
the way of the Republicans trying to carry
out the promise made by their national
platform on the contrary, that they were
anxious for the next administration to dem
onstrate to the country what could be done
along that line.
Notwithstanding Senator Kyle's assertion
that he did not get the Republican votes
which reelected him by making promises,
the Republicans in Washington are now
counting upon his voting with them to OBJ
tain control of the Senate organization and
to fill Committee vacancies that will exist
March 4th. This confidence of the Repub-
licans is not based upon any vague expec-
tation or hope; they do not say Senator
Kyle may vote with US, but that Senator
Kyle will vote with us. In voting with
the Republicans in this particular case,
should his vote settle the question. Senator
Kyle will betray the principles he has pro-
fessed ever since he entered the Senate. As
most people know, the Senate Finance
COMMITTEE, as at present made up, is con-
trolled by silver. although seven of its
thirteen members, including the Chairman,
are Republicans There will be two vacan-
cies in this Committee on March 4th. Sen
tho md
Senator Voorhees, will retire to private life.
The Republican leaders consider it neces-
sary, as this is the Committee that will
handle the new tariff bill, that both of
+ these vacancies shall be filled by men who
can be counted upon to support the new
tariff bill and to oppose any silver legisla-
ton that may be proposed and they are
saying that Senator Kyle, whose advocacy
Of silver and of free trade is widely known,
will vote with them. If he does, what will
be the natural inference?
Representative Walker, Of Mass. couldn't
upset the Reed rules, but he could, and did
express himself very vigorously on the
subject, saying in part: Under the rules
of this House, we get mighty few rights.
When yo1 go to see about a bill, you are
referred to snb-committee, and then you
may cool Your heels there day after day
before you can get so much as one member
of the subcommittee to hear you. And
when you do, he tells You he knows all
about it, and intimates that you are boring
him. Then when be reports against you
and you try to appeal to the full committee
you get no satisfaction" He called this "a
system OF tyranny" and added much more
to the same effect.