The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-03-25
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, March %, 1897.

Speaker Reed has not authorized
the statement that he will not an
point the other House committees
until the meeting Of the regular seA
sion of Congress next December. To
all inquiries on the subject the
Speaker has replied in substance that
he has not decided the matter def
nitely. The impression left upon the
mind of those who have talked with
him on the subject is that Mr. Reed
will be governed by circumstances.
There is reason TO believe that the
committee assignments have practi-
cally been completed and could be
announced at short notice. A gentle-
man whose position is as good as
anybodys for. getting advance knowl-
edge OF Mr.. Reeds intentions, said
when asked about the committees:
Il don't know. but my guess is that
the committees will be announced at
the present session, but not until the
joint resolution naming the day of
adjournment has been adopted and
signed by the President"
1t having been made very plain by
the business-like beginning of the
debate on the Dingley tariff bill in
the House that the Republicans in
tend to put that measure through
just as it is on the afternoon of March
31st, in accordance with the rule
which has been adopted, the men who
are trying to get the bill amended in
all sorts of ways, have transferred
their attention to the members of the
Senate Finance Committee, which
has already taken up the bill for con
sideratiOn. These men are now pre-
dieting that the bill viii be amended
out OF all resemblance TO itself in the
Senate, but Republicans are loath to
believe that the Republicans on the
finance cOmmittee-Senato tors Morrill,,
Allison, Aldrich, Platt and Wolcott-
will sanction any amendment caIcu-
lated to make the bill any less pro
tectiVe TO American interests. Sena-
tor Jones, of Nevada, holds the
balance OF power between Republic
cans and Democrats in the committee
and he has only recently said that he
believed i'll protection as much as he
ever did. Injurious amendments may
be added on the floor of the Senate
but Republicans do not expect such
from the finance committee
Representative Cannon, of Illinois
has habit Of getting off retorts in
such Il droIl and dry manner that he
seldom fails to make his victim join in
the laughter which usually follows
Speaking Of the Indian appropriation
bill, one Of those that failed at the
last session, Representative Sayres, OF
Texas, expressed the opinion that
President Mckinley would not sigE
the bill if it were passed. Looking
straight at Mr.. Sayres, Mr.. Cannon
said very slowly and distinctly, 81
have great confidence in my friend
but | would never shoot him for q
prophet" Mr.. Sayres joined in the
shout OF laughter. The House acted
promptly upon the advice of Mr.. Can
non, who was chairman of the com
mittee on appropriations in the last
House, and who will occupy the same
position in the present House, anC
passed the appropriation bills that
failed at the last Congress, Just as
they had been passed before, with
the exception Of one paragraph in the
Indian bill. There was 20 occasion
to do over again what had been vel
done at first.
Senator Allen, Of Nebraska, under
took to give the Republicans and
Democrats Of the Senate u scoldina
| because the vacancies in The Senate
committees had not been filed, but
he had no reply TO make when Sena.
tor Chandler said, Doesn't the Sen
ator know chat neither party has a
majority here, unless it gets The CO.
operation Of the Populists. Now !
would suggest that if the Senator
will only cast his vote with us, we
will have the necessary working
majority"
The speech OF Senator Davis, OF
Minnesota, now chairman of the
Committee on foreign relations, in
favor Of the arbitration treaty, has
made new friends for the treaty. Mr..
Davis stated in his speech, which was
made in executive session, that he
had opposed the treaty as it was sent
to the Senate, but the amendments
now added, had removed the objec-
tionable features and that he was
heartily in favor of it's ratification.
Postmaster General Gary has deci-
ded that except in cases which pre-
sent some extraordinary reason for a
deviation the old rules will be ad-
hered to in the appointment of post