Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-03-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. March 26, l9I


From our Regular Correspondence
WASHINGTON, March rs, 1900.
Boss Hanna, having failed to convince
all Of the Republican Senators, BY telling
them that the passage of the Porto Rico
tariff bill was necessary to get certain big
campaign contributions, is now vigorously
welding the party whip on the shoulders
Of the kickers. with able assistance on the
quiet from Mr.. Mckinley. 1t was to help
him that Senator Foraker got the Senate
Porto Rico bill sent back to COMMITTEES.
This leaves the dock clear for the House
bill, which deals exclusively with the
Porto Rico tariff Every energy is now to
be bent to force that through the Senate
without amendment. Five OF six Repnb-
lican Senators still threaten to filibuster
against a vote.
Senator Cockrell, speaking for the Demo-
cratic Senators, just before the Senate
passed the bill authorizing the appoint
ment Of Commission to go to China and
japan and make q report on Commercial
conditions in those countries, said The
Republican party is in absolute CONT oil,
and we on this side of the Chamber are
powerless to prevent the enactment Of any
legislation coming from the Republican
party and deemed necessary by it. l will
not aDtagonize this bill, although / do not
agree with it in principle. l want it
understood now, and understood distinctly,
that hereafter, absolute responsibility must
rest upon the Republican party for the
passage of all resolutions and bills"
Senator Tillman utilized his pitchfork to
toss a few aggravating questions to the
cd
which furnished considerable amusement
TO the occupants of the galleries and to the
Democratic Senators. Among the questions
which no Republican seriously attempted
to answer, were the following: Has the
President changed his mind or not Is the
President for free trade with Porto Rico
to-day, or is he not {? Is he leading his
party, or has he surrendered to the dictates
of special interest, following the triumphal
car like prisoner of war? Will some
gentleman please tell me whether the
President is for tree trade with Porto Rico,
or is he not? ?" After waiting in vain for a
reply to his questions, Mr.. Tillman said
with sardonlc laugh A dumbness falls
upon us alp He then wildly sketched
the present troubles of the Republican
party, and predicted that the people would
sweep it from power, for not recognizing
that the flag, the Constitution and liberty
must travel together, and charged the
Republican party with indirection, hypoc-
risy, and dirty work. Senator Spooner
sought to detract attention from Senator
Tillman's plain talk about Porto Rico by
shifting the debate to the suppression of
the negro vote in South Carolina, but Mr..
TilIman met him al once by declaring that
he had no apologies to make for the action
of the white people Of South Carolina,
adding: When you could get nothing
more from us by law, you TUNED horde
of negroes and carpet baggers loose upon
us to steal everything we had left. We
are here 60 stay, and we demand our rights.
We are not to be trampled on and ham
mered and patronized any longer. say
that as South CaroliDian, am the equal
of any Senator on this floor. propose to
have my say here,nO matter whose feelings
are hurt"
After ten years service in the House,
Representative Cox, of Tennessee, has
announced that he will not be a candidate
for reelection. When asked why, he
answered in three words" Tired of it.n
He viii be missed by the Democrats of the
next House, as he has won place as an
able champion of Democratic principles.
That the government overpays for low
grade work and under pays for high grade
work has again been emphasized by the
resignation of Hon. A. P. Greeley, Assist.
ant Commissioner of Patents, because OF
his small salary, to engage in practice in
Washington, making a speciality of trade
marks and foreign patents. The retire
ment of Mr.. Greeley is decided loss to
the government He has been in the
Patent Office for sixteen years, has filled
many important positions, including that
of Commissioner, besides writing several
works recognized as authority on patent
law, and not only proved his ability, but
exhibited an amount of back bone seldom
found in a government official. The latter
was particularly noticeable in the long
fight which resulted in disbarring the
notorious John Wedderburn and other
crooked patent attorneys.
Representative Caldwell, of Illinois
believes that Senator Gallon will be sue,
ceeded by a Democrat. He said:
think I have right to be sanguine in my
hopes that we shall elect Democrat to the
United States Senate. The present law
districtiDg the State makes it possible for
as to carry the legislature. although the
Republicans have majority in the State
somewhere between $4,000 and $4,000
One result OF the Investigations now being
made by the House Military Committee OF
the use of Federal troops in Idaho is the
resolution offered in the House by Repre-
sentative Lentz, of Ohio, and in the Senate
by Senator Allen, of Nebraska, calling for
the withdrawal of Federal troops from the
Occur d. Alene district in Idaho; the reyo
cation of the labor permit system, and
restoration of the right of habeas corpus.
The resolution declares that the further
use of United States troops in aiding and
assisting the maintenance of martial law is
improper, unnecessary and unlawful.