Saint Mary's beacon., 1899-12-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Il began Monday the actual work OF
railroading through the House, in sin
gle week, the gold standard bill that Mr.
Mckinley had prepared last summer.
The vote Is TO be taken . week from to-
day, and of course. the bin will be pass
ed as II will be sure to get all the repub-
lican votes, and il is being claimed that
eight democrats from New York, aud
possibly others from the Eastern states
will also vote for t. The republicans
are so fond of wearing their gags that
they have offered to give some of the
! time allotted to them for debate on the
bin to the democrats.
The Navy Department has got Schley
well out of the way. but his friends in
Congress are on the alert in his behalf,
as was seen when proposition, which
originated with Mr.. Mckinley was sub
mitted to them. The proposition was
that Congress pass a bill reviving the
grade of Vice Admiral in the Navy, and
that Mr.. Mckinley would at once nom-
mate both Schley and Sampson to that
graSe. This sounded well, but Schley's
friends have so fsr declined to accept il,
unless Mr.. Mckinley would promise that
Schley's nomination should be made
first, SC that he would continue to rank
Sampson. Representative Berry. of KY i,
who Is one of Schley's staunchest frieAds
says he intends to push his resolution
Offering the thanks of Congress to Schley
and the men under him for destroying
Cervera's feet, but IL an agreement Is
reached about the Vice Admiral busi-
. ness, that will probably end the whole
matter.
Representative Lentz, of Otio, has
offered a resolution asking for an inves-
tigation, by a special committee of the
House, of the charges growing out of
the interference of u. 8. troops in min
ing troubles In Idaho, in defiance Of and
contrary to the Fede-dl Constitution, at
the individual request of the Governor,
when no riot or insurrection existed,
and without consulting the legislature
or the local sheriff.
If present indications nay be depended
upon, the position of those democrats
who voted against the dangerous method
of refusing to allow man with proper
credentials, TO be sworn In as member
of the House, is likely to be vindicated
By the final disposition of the Roberts
case. Members of the Roberts commit
tee may, of course, change their minds
before their report is made to the House,
but IL looks now as though their report
wonld recommend that Roberts be sworn
In and then be expelled, because of his
being poiFgamist. Members are begin
ming to realize that the precedent of not
allowing man with regular credentials
to be sworn in, Is too dangerous a one
- be set up. II one man can properly
be denied, one hundred men might be
treated in the same way by an unscru-
pulous majority. It isn't the Roberts
case, bat the principle at stake that makes
the action Of the House important.
That Mr.. Quay isn't as certain of get
ting that seat in the Senate, as his friends
would like everybody TO believe is
shown by the presence in Washington,
working In Quay's interest, of ex-Sena-
tor Don Cameron. Mr.. Quay will also
be in Washington this week. An ad.
verse report Is expected from the Com
y.n;ataa r.S~ ~fclac2;r.ua ..rA;ol l. 90 - IL.
few committees not included in the re-
publican grab Of Increasing their repre-
sentation, but the real fight will be or
the floor of the Senate. The chances
still seem TO favor Quay, although sew
eral of the Senators who had been count
ed upon as certain to vote to seathim
are said to be in doubt as 10 how they
would vote 1t is on the personal friend
ship of those Senators that Cameron
and Quay are now working.
Senator Mason's speech in favor o.
his resolution Of sympathy for the
Transvaal Republic, now engaged in )
war for liberty with Great Britain, con
tains come hard knocks for prominen'
republicans, iacluding the President
Mason may not rank high as a states
man, but his tongue has q sting on nj,
end Of it when he wishes it to have,
quite as nagging If not 50 polished, a.
that welded by Ingalls,. and other sting.
slihgers who have been In the Senate.
Boss Hanna appears to have emerged
from his wres;le with the rheumatism
and his check book, which is credited
with such prominent part in the Ohio
campaign, as cross as . crippled bear.
He was hobbling out of the White House,
where he had been holding conference
with Mr.. Mckinley and Mr.. Henry q.
Pasue, of Wis, who has been mentioned
- Hanna's successor at the head Of the
Republican National Committee, when
he was asked II it were true that he in
tended to retire from the Chairmanship /
of the Committee. He glared angrily
at the newspaper man who asked the
question, before answering and then
snapped ont as he turned away: sNo
one is authorized TO say what will do. !,