Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1889 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

DAKOTA’S FIGHT FOR ADMIBSIONMK. SPRINGER’S BILL. Cowles’ Internal Revenue Maneuver—Gay Doings New Dresses Society Debutantes—The Last Diplomatic Reception - Hen Butler’s New Spoon. [SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.] Washington, 1). C.. /an. 21. Mr. Springer’s “substitute* omnibus bill, providing for the admission of North and South Dakota, New Mexico, Washington, and Montana Territories, has passed the House: and, with the flattering prospect of adding five new sisters to the family of Uncle Saw, the Democrats are nearly as happy as though they had elected a President. It is the first time in the history of the country when one bill preparing for the admission of more than two Territories has passed either branch of Congress. The objections naturally arising from such wholesale lumping of interests were greatly augmented by a proviso in the measure as first presented, in place of the Senate South Dakota bill, stipulating that the Territory should be admitted as a single State. The Illinois Congressman had great trouble in correcting this evident mistake, and he waded through sloughs of maneuvering, fear, and despondency, Anally driving a dicker with the Chair, which gave McDonald of Minnesota the privilege of laying before the House a similar bill prior to a vote, before he was permitted to present his patched and wadded ■“substitute” bill. When the victory was finally declared his, by a vote of 144 to 98, the faded red rose in his buttonhole, which •drooped from fatigue, was in striking contrast with its elated master, who rushed ■enthusiastically to his committee-rooms as soon as possible, flushed with victory and ■ confident his bill would also pass the Senate. Poor Utah still knocks at the door, but no one says, “Come in.” On the contrary, the people of Idaho have, very unneighborly, sent a memorial to Congress setting forth that the Territory in question would make ■an unruly member of the Union, and protesting against its promotion. Senators Allison and Aldrich, the great workers on the Senate tariff bill, are almost as disgusted at the opposition cropping out on every side, as were the Democrats in the House the other day, when Mr. Cowles, of North Carolina, one of their own party, introduced his bill relating to internal revenue, and moved to refer it to the Committee on Appropriations, of which Mr. Randall is Chairman. It is a body to which the matter is wholly irrelevant, the subject being one that, according to all precedent, should have been submitted to the Ways and Means Committee. The Southern representatives claim to have been forced to this action from anxiety in regard to the tobacco tax, for which they desire consideration, unhampered by tariff legislation, and they have given up hope of securing such a report from Mr. Mills’ committee. Senator Farwell no doubt expected to discover anarchism under a red cloth that adorned his table the other morning. Although a casual glance assured him he was not the only member thus honored, he lifted the cloth gingerly with vague remembrance of dynamite bombs dnd the Haymarket riot flitting through his brain. But his alarm was baseless. The red only covered a poor, harmless memorial from the Sadies in favor of legislation for Sabbath -observance, against running interstate Bun<day trains, and against military drills on ■Sunday. By the way. the old-time visitors to Washington would miss the female lobbyist. She is no more. True, Congress is not without its lady visitors interested in legislation. Mrs. J. Ellen Foster, for instance, made the argument before the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia in favor •of prohibition in the District this week, but the only two women who are recognized as interested in Congressional affairs are Mrs. Gen. Ward Burnett, who is after an increase of pension, and Mrs. Charlotte Smith. The latter is a character. She puts Congressional absentees to shame by her attendance on the sessions. Rain or shine, Mrs. Smith appears with her hobby, which is the securing of legislation for the working women. Representative W. L. Scott will long remember Mrs. Charlotte, for when he cast a vote against her pet scheme she kindly placed a choice bouquet of onions, celery tops, cabbage leaves, and crab shells on the desk of the member from Erie as a mark of the esteem in which she held him. For this act command was given to the doorkeepers not to admit Mrs. Smith to the House end of the Capitol. The order was never enforced, and the festive Charlotte still buttoholes members who are too courteous to rebuff her. In the grave and ponderous debate of the Senate, the exciting scenes of the House and ’the growing gayety of society, there is no sign that time presses on to the end of an -administration. President Cleveland was never more courteously dignified, nor his ■wife more charmingly lovely than at the Hast of their receptions to the diplomatic ■corps, and on no recent occasion have so many new and handsome gowns seen gaslight for the first time. Mrs. Cleveland’s gown was of turquois blue erepe with a court train brocaded in silver marguerites. A. cluster of diamonds in the corsage and tticr solitaire necklace were the only ornaments worn. Fastened through a buttonhole on the front of the corsage was a single white rose with a spray of smilax. Mrs. Cleveland wore her hair in a simple Psyche knot without flowers or ornaments of any kind, and carried in her lelt hand a large open fan of white feathets. A notable feature was the presence of several IndiaK chiefs, who. in costumes semi-Indian and semi-civilized, made striking and picturesque figures in the crowd of superbly dressed women and gayly uniformed men. Two notable debutantes have formally been welcomed into Washington society. One is Miss Quay, the accomplished daughter of the junior Senator from Pennsylvania, and the other a daughter of Minister Garter, of the Sandwich Islands. It is not generally known that Baron Von tSeldlitz who is about to marry Miss Roosevelt, of New York, and is allied to the member of the Seidlitz family who introduced that refreshing aperient, the Seidlitz powder, is the heir apparent to one of the .noblest fortunes, of Germany. Benjamin Franklin’s monument was un•coyered to view last week on the 183 d an- . niversary of that noted commoner’s birth. The ceremonies were impressive but unostentatious. The cord which confined the two American flags with which the figure was draped was pulp'd by Mrs. M. W. "Emory, widow of the late General William H. Emory, and the great-granddaughter oi Franklin, her maiden name being Bache. A movement to erect a monument to Gen. Sheridan is meeting with favorable consideration. and the effort being made to raise a fund of $100,Out) for Mrs. Sheridan seems likely to be successful. Senator Stanford 4 oflters to subscribe $5,800. Ben Butler has been heard from again. This time he claims $46,000 attorney’s fee from Samuel Strong, who has been awarded numerous judgments ranging from SIO,OOO to $250,000 against the District of Columbia fbr public.service. Ben has restrained their payment, and other lawyers who are claiming fees fbr service expect his “sjioon” will take it all. < Since Mr. Harrison has been formally de-■K-’ared President-elect the cranks 'hale begun to congregate at Washington. Vai■entine W’urd, from California, is the first to arrive. He is an unprepossessing-looking i man of about sixty, who imagines that he has been elected chief executive of the

United States. He has journeyed on foot from San Francisco, where he claims he recently resigned a position as Collector of Customs to come here and take the oath of office. Wharton Barker of Philadelphia is far more pretentious appearing, and has taken rooms at the Normandie. He is making an active campaign for Secretary of the Treasury. His friends claim that he secured the nomination of both Garfield and Harrison. Still the country is in ignorance as to Harrison's selection for Cabinet honors and his intention in regard to dancing at the inaugural. It is of record that George Washington danced in a cotillon with Mrs. Peter Van Brugh Livingston at his first inaugural. which is an honorable precedent if Mr. Harrison has any desire to follow it. Washington was a church member, too. Mr. and Mrs. Levi p. Morton are at the Normandie, where Blaine makes his home; and this would be considered exceedingly significant were it not reported from seemingly good authority that Mrs. Blaine once snubbed Mrs. Harrison. If this latter rumor is true what wonder the President-elect is nonplused and out of humor with reporters! Meantime Blaine is here awaiting

the next administration.

MORSE.