Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-06-17
WASHINGTON LETTER
From Our Regular correspondeut.l


duu WIG iCVOiV VI OpSOidA Nouuiio-
sioner Calhoun before his return to
Washington from the Nashville ex-
position, and will then finally decide
upon his policy towards Cuba. 1t is
not expected however that any pub
lie announcement of that policy will
be made until a new minister has
been sent to Spain. Ex-Governor
Cox of Ohio has been asked to take
that position, and he will decide by
the time the President returns to
Washington.
The Democrats can not hide their
chagrin and disappointment at the
harmonious action of the Republican
Senators on the tariff bill. 1t has
entirely upset all democratic calcula-
tions. They had expected that the
Republicans would be divided, and
that they could take advantage Of
the division to secure changes In the
bill and to prolong the debate in
definitely. Instead of that they find
the Republicans presenting a solid
front, and refusing to be tainted
into unnecessary debate. Unless the
Democrats change their tactics and
resort to open obstruction to delay
the bill, it will probably pass the
Senate before the first of July, and,
judging from the spirit shown by the
Senators in steadily drifting towards
the schedules of the House bill, not
mere than ten days will be required
to reach an agreement in conference
on the Senate amendments to the
bill. Unfortunately it is in the
power of the democrats, If they dare
to face public opinion and do it, to
change this pleasing outlook, but as
things now look 1t is not exaggerated
prediction to say, that the tariff bill
may become law in a month from
this time.
Senator Bacon, of Georgia, has the
honor OF having offered the first
amendment to the tariff bill that has
been adopted without the endorse
ment of the republican steering COM
mittee, and the first strictly protec-
tive amendment to be fathered by a
democrat, and voted for by as many
as six democrats. Some of the
steering committee schedules have
received the votes Of one or two
democrats. but when Senator Bacon's
amendment putting duty of 20 per
cent at valorum on raw cotton was
voted upon, it was supported by the
following democrats: Bacon and Clay,
of Georgia; Tillman and McLaurin,
of South Carolina, McEHery, of Lou
isiana; and Rawlins of Utah, and by
all the Republicans present, and
was passed by vote of AZ to 10.
This action on the part OF these
democrats nearly caused Senators
Jones, OF Arkansas, and Vest, of
Missouri, who are jointly leading the
Democrats, to throw fit or two
right on the floor OF the Senate.
There are several other democratic
Senators who would vote for protec-
tion. il they had the nerve to follow
their inclnations.
Senators German, Jones and other
Democrats are crossing bridge be-
fore they get to it, by declaring that
the Democrats will not allow legis-
lation authorizing the appointment
OF a currency commission to investi-
gate and report TO Congress their
conclusions as to how our present
currency system might be improved,
to be passed by Congress at this
session.
The new sugar schedule OF the tar
iff bill, which with two changes is
the original DiDgley schedule, is far
more satisfactory than was the one
Ivy the Senate Finance
and it will he still more
IL those two changes are
struck out when the bill goes to con-
ference.
President McKinley's last act be-
fore departing for Nashville, was to
send batch of important diplomatic
nomina tions to the Senate. Among
them were those Of Henry L. Wilson,
a brother Of Senator Wilson, OF the
state Of Washington, to be minister
to Chile; VIM. +. Powell, colored
man, Of New Jersey, to be minister
to Hayti; John e. A. Leishman. of
Pennsylvania, to be Minister to
and John +. Convey, OF
the State of Washington, to be Con-
sui General at Kanagawa, Japan.
Among other nominations sent in at
the same time were those of Robert
5. Pearson, OF South Dakota to be
Deputy Auditor for the Interior De-
Daniel A. Grosvenor, of
Maryland, a brother Of Representa-
tive Grosuannr nf Ohin "a ho nann4u ~