The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-13
Some Glimpses al
Congress al Work.
Special to The Scranton Tribune.

Special to The Scranton Tribune.
Washington, Dec. 12.-The Fifty-ffth
congress of the United States is again IN
run blast, the wheels that move the
pondcrous machinery which grinds out
the grists of federal legislation from
time to time having been set in motion
on Monday last by the joint rapping of
gavcls i'm the hands of Thomas Bracket
Reed. of Maine, and Garrett 4. Hobart,
OF New Jersey. The roll call revealed
considerably more than a quorum of the
membership of both branches of the fed
eral legislature present, and ready to do
business. Both chambers of the great
capitol building showed marked evidence
OF the skill and handiwork of the official
habcrdasher, in the bright new carpet
ings that greeted the eyes and the feet
of the congressional wayfarer as he re-
turned to his post of duty after an alb
scncc dating from the close of the extra
ordinary session i'm July last. The smell
of new paint which pervaded the capi-
tolean atmosphere to a pronounced eX-
tent, seemed to have an enivening rath-
er than depressing effect on the return
ing pilgrims if the self-satisfed express
sion which spread itself over their smil-
ing faces as they cordially greeted each
other with hearty handshakes and pleas
ant words of welcome, was any indication
by which to judge,
o
Taking the present congress all i'm all
Democrats Republicans, Populists. Silver
men, Gold-buES and StTaddlers, they are
pretty jolly lot of intelligent men,
There seems to be less sectional bitter
ness and less factional friction i'm the
present congress than in any other since
the close Of the war of the rebellion.
There Is disposition on the part of the
Lion Reed TO lie down with the little
lamblikc Confederate generalJO Wheeler,
of Alabama, and to allow the sockess
statesman from bleeding Kansas" the
| Hon, Jerry Simpson, to occupy "A position
at the foot of the bed provided he keeps
quiet and doesn't shock their senslbilitics
with CalamitOus war whoop of despair.
| But jerry Is a good fellow and every
| body likes him. He is not by a large
majority, the vcrdant hayseed that he
| is represented to be, but an intelligent,
| jolly and pleasant gentleman. During
| the extra session when Jerry was attack
| ing the rulings of Speaker Reed i'm re-
| gard to the three days adjournment
matter, some dsgustcd member of the
| house said, that about all the lower
| branch of congress was doing at the
| time was treating the members to Tom
| and Jerry" No formal action has been
| taken by the leaders of the house as to
| the course of legislation in the near fu-
| ture, although a sort of mutual under
| standing has been reached by which the
| appropriation DlllS snail De disposed OF
| as fast as they are ready for consid-
| Grafton. when these are out of the way
| the bankruptcy bill will be given the
] first opportunity for "A hearing. This bill
was framed by Mr.. Henderson. or Iowa,
| and is on the lines of the old Torrey
bill, providing for both voluntary and in
voluntary bankruptcy
o
| The committee on foreign affairs held
| its first meeting Friday, and outlined
| its work by the appointment of sub
| committees to deal with Cuban and Ha-
| waiian affairs. What the general line Of
policy to he pursued in regard to these
| matters will be was not indicated by the
| chairman, Mr., Hit, of Illinois, the time
| of the committee being given to the ques-
! tion of sealing in the Bering sea.
| The Democratic caucus which is to be
| held at an early date. is believed to be
| ostensibly for the purpose of making an
| issue with the administration and the
| speaker of the house on the CUBAN ques-
| ton, The leaders in this movement rea-
| son from the standpoint that by their
| side insisting upon the consideration Of
| the pro-Cuban resolution. the president
and the speaker will oppose it, and there
| by make an issue before the country.
| They believe, with good reason, that the
| country is strongly in sympathy with
| the Cuban insurgents, and that large
number of the Republicans in the house
have similar sympathy. If therefore
| they can draw enough support from the
| Republicans side to defeat the speaker
and the Republican managers, they can
| profit by AN attitude of friendliness to
the Cuban insurgents, as against the
| negative course Of the administration,
which they believe to be extremely un-
| popular at the present time.
| The Hawaiian situation appears to be
| considerably mixed, as there is much
| uncertainty as to there being two-thirds
| of the senate in favor of ratifying the
| Hawaiian treaty. Yet II is believed that
IA majority of the senate and the house
are i'm favor of annexation Speaker
| Reed is opposed to annexation, but not
| withstanding this fact, the prospects are
| that even If the treaty fails of rathca-
! tion by the senate, annexation will ulti-
mately be acComplished-though the Joint
action Of the two houses and the presi-
dent Various propositions I'm the form
of bills are before the house committee
| on foreign affairs submitting plans of
annexation. Mr., Sulzer. Of New York
would make Hawaii a territory Of the
United States assume IT'S debt OF -four
million dollars and provide for five COM
missioners to formulate a plan of govern
ment for the island. Mr., Spalding Fl
Michigan, would make it a state, with
one representative in congress tor the
present.
o.
| Indications point to "A radical onslaught
on the civil service when hat point IS
reached in the progress Of legislG tin
Stalwart Republicans in congress and
out Of congress can never get over
their chagrin and modification regarding
President McKinley's action I'm endorsing
and emphasizing the celebrated hog-ordeI
OF Cleveland by which every available
place under the government which at the
time was filled by Democrats, was at the
close of his administration completely
covered I'm under a civil service blanket
and that blanket nailed and riveted down