The Opelousas courier., 1897-05-29
Washington Letter.
From or Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, May "A, 1897.
The House of Representatives pre-
sents an object lesson to the world
showing how easily a supposedly free
branch Of a supposed popular govern
ment can he muzzlcd. Three-fourths
of the members of the House would
like to vote for the Morgan resolution,
adopted by the Senate last week, for
the recognition of the b~elligerency of
the Cubans, but they are not allowed to
do SO. Mr.. Mckinley says the adOp-
ton of that resolution by tho House
would interfere with the mysterious
Cuban policy that lie is engaged in
Matching out, by compelling him to
show his hand, as it is joint resolution
which would have to be either signed
or vetoed, and not a concurrent resolu-
ton, like the one adopted by the last
Congress and pigeon-hole,i by MIR.
Cleveland; the sugar trust says the res
Olution must not be adopted, and Car
Reed says it shall not be, and there you
are. The Democrats kicked to the full
extent of their power, but the Republi-
can members Of the House swallow
their convictions and vote against the
will of their constituents because they
are afraid to offend Mr.. Mckinley and
Mr.. Reed, lest they should fail to land
an Off &C or two or to get the Commit
farce of calling the House u legislative
body goes on, like the butcherics in
Cuba.
There will be 10 tax on the break
fast of the poor, nor any additional tax
upon beer. the poor mans beverage, Or
tobacco, if the Democrats can prevent
it, as a caucus of Democratic Senators
unanimously decided to move that the
entire internal revenue section of the
amended tariff bill, now being debated
in the Senate, be struck out. Whether
that motion is carried will depend upon
the vote of the populist Senators. 1t
was also decided at the caucus that the
Democratic Senators would only antag-
onize the tariff bill to the extent of ex-
posing its enormous and unnecessary
increase in taxation, and would inter-
pose no objection to taking a final vote
in a reasonable time. The Republican
Senators are having Il regular monkey
and parrot time among themselves over
some Of the amendments to the bill.
The explanation of Senator Adrich was
not all satisfactory, and there was lots
of the plainest sort of talk at the Repub-
lican caucus to-day, and although they
are making a strong effort to settle their
differences in some way off the floor OF
the Senate, there is little prospect Of
their succeeding, and al open fight
among them is expected to te an early
and interesting feature of the tariff de-
bate. They are going to pass the bill,
OF course, but not until it has been
much changed. The agents of the SUI
gar trust realize that the present sugar
schedule has no show at all, and are
scheming for another that will BAN
.oozlc the public long enough for it to
become il law.
There have been numerous things
The hold OF the negro
of the South upon Boss
as a natural result of Hanna's
of securing Mckinley dele
gates in the South, prior to the St.
Louis Convention. The latest exam
pie was the withdrawal from the Sem
ate Of the nomination of S. S. Mathews,
to the Register of the Land Office at
Jackson Mississippi. Mathews is a
white Republican who was strongly
backed by such men as Senator Fora
ler, Pension Commissioner Evans and
General Powell Clayton, but the negro
member of the Republican National
from Mississippi, jim Hill,
liuu U lIhC lhC IptIlliltlUB, so hO "Sbt
% Boss Hanna and told him it must be
SO Mr.. Hanna lost no time
o getting Mr.. Mckinley to withdraw it
the Senate.
From all directions come authentic
Of a change in sentiment since
asst November. For instance, Mr.. S.
". Peters, Of West Va, said West
cast its electoral vote last
ear for Mckinley, but if the election
to be held over again right now,
he verdict would be reversed. | am
atisfied that free silver would win if
he fight were to be made over again.
)f all my Democratic friends who
'oted the Republican ticket last year or
or Palmer and Buekner. | doubt if
here ID one who would fail to cast his
allot for Bryan. if the opportunity
vere again presented. The next leg
will be strongly Democratic,
nd Il Democrat will be chosen to sue