The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-12-11
A TALKING CONGRESS-
Very Little Real Work Is Likely to
BE Done at This Session.
The REPUBLICANS ARE 0UARRELlNG
Among Themselves and Maxine Good
Democratic Campaign Material.
THE MESSAGE VERY PLEASING
no the Members from Texas, Who
Regard 1t from IA Democratic
Standpoint.
THE MESSAGE VERY PLEASING

Washington. December 10.--(Specal -
The republican party OF this country is In
hole with the sides soaped and no ladder
In sight. The opening of this session of
congress proves this conclusively
The smiling faces OF the democrats ard
the glum looks of the republicans indicate
very clearly that something Is decayed In
the republican Denmark, and little prob
ing on both sides of the house will develop
the fact that the general opinion of every
body is that this will be do nothing con-
gress. 1t will stay here all right and scrap
and talk and wrangle and quarrel. aud al
ter each engagement the democrats will
Rave another cord Of campaign material
piled up and the republican will be deeper
in that hole
The very first dash out OF the box hes
been disastrous for the republicans. Presi-
dent McKinley's message is declared ON all
sides by the democrats to be the weakest
message, the poorest state paper that has
been sent to congress for years. Every man
from Texas has expressed himself as
pleased with the message from dem
ocratic standpolnt 1t will make a fine dem
ocratic campaign document and the dem
ocrats are not going TO be slow to use 1t,
AS DeGraffenreid of Texas expressed it
and he but echoed the sentiments of every
other Texas member--"it docs not arise
to the dignity OF an apology for a miserable
condition Of affairs; 1t is simply a lame
excuse for them, as well as an excuse for
unpatriotic things. principally for leaving
poor Cuba naked 10 the whip of scofp Gus
that Spain is industriously plying TO her
shoulders"
| ripple Of amusement went over the
! house when during the reading OF the mes
sage. the clerk read the passage where the
president said that during the extra session
the senate had voted joint resolution
recognizing the belligerency Of Cuba. but
THAT it had not been brought TO a vote In
| the house Every body knew why 1t had rot
and ikcD smiled Even Speaker Tom Reed
| smiled at the remembrance OF how he had
| incontnenty sat on that resolution and
! held 1t down. If all signs do not fall, how
ever, he is not gcing to be able TO hold
| it down this session. He may possibly
keep IL down until after the holiday recess
but after that It will come TO the front
| like a cowboy at a circus and stay there
until the performance is over.
The republicans are glum for the reason
| that they are not united and they see dis
aster on their road The BATE in the house
on last Tuesday as 10 the reference Of
specific recomms ndations in the presidents
message to appropriate committees re-
vealed the fact that the sailing will be
rough for tbs e. O. p, In any effort to adopt
a financial policy.
There was a spirited controversy between
] Walker of Massachusetts,, chairman Of the
committee on banking and currency, and
Chairman Dingley, in which other mem
bers participated, as TO the jurisdiction
over certain matters in regard to propose
financial legislation. 1t cropped out in this
debate that many Western republican
members can not be whipped into line to
SUPPORT any measure involving the retire-
ment OF the greenbacks,
Doliver of Iowa, a leading member OF
the ways and means committee, in an in
tervew, expressed his qualification that the
president in his message lad not given
specific approval to the Gage plan, in-
voving. as Dolliver termed it, radical
/; gislation" The democrats are jnblant
over the prospective divisions among the
republicans along this line. They all say
the republican majority is between the
devil and the deep blue sea. If they adopt
the Gage plan they will meet the approval
Of the Eastern money power and destroy
themselves in the West and Northwest.
II fhty Weld TO Western sentiment the East
will be disgruntiei and the s!news Of wal
will be materially reduced in the next cam
Taign when they VIII need them worse
than ever Reed is reported as having sail
aren't the campaign in Ohio in 90. also ths
recent campaign of. by and for Hanna. I'll
it takes SO much money to carry Ohio foI
its favorite sons. how much would II have
taken to make Ohio go republican for any
other csndidate?'
SABINE PASS APPROPRIATION.
Congressman Cooper today introduced I
resolution directing 0ooO which had here