People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1893 — Washington Letter. [ARTICLE]

Washington Letter.

From our regular co-respondent. Washington, Sept. 22, 1893. Senator Voorhees is very much I like the individual, whoi everybody knows, that is going to do [ great things to-morrow or next week. His threats of resorting to extreme measures to force a vote on the Voorhees repeal bill continues to be made, but no extreme measures have been resorted to. The senators opposed to the bill have openly defied Mr. Voorhees’ to attempt to pass a cloture rule or to hold the senate in continuous session until a vote is reached. Senator Platt, of Connecticut, has proposed a cloture rule, but, as that

can be debated as long as the repeal bill, there is no probability that it will be seriously considered. In any attempt to carry out the often made threat of wearing the silver men out by a by a continuous session all of the advantages would be on the side of the silver men, who could divide into relays while the friends of the bill would be compelled to maintain a quorum constantly, and if the attempt is made it will probably only be to show President Cleveland the impossibility of getting a vote ot the bill, in order to get his consent to a compromise that would be accepted by the silver men. It is as certain now as it has been from the beginning that no vote can be reached without the consent of the friends of silver. When this fact is recognized by President Cleveland the long and needless struggle will be over, and not before, unless a sufficient number of administration senators shall agree to vote for a compromise without his consent, and many well informed people consider that a very likely outcome of the present situation.

The nominations of W. B. Hornblower, of N. Y., to the vacancy in the supreme court, and of J. J. Van Alen, of R. 1., a son-in-law of W. B. Astor, to be ambassador to Italy, are far from pleasing to the politicians, although it is not probable that any serious attempt will be made to defeat the confirmation of either of them.

The science of finance constantly presents new problems and contradictions to those who attempt to master it. The word “attempt” is intentionally used, for it is doubtless whether any man has yet succeeded in mastering it. In the early days of the extra session the senate committee on finance favorably reported a bill to allow national •banks to issue currency to the full face value of the bonds they have deposited in the U. S. treasury, and the bill was endorsed by tire secretary of the treasury and other men credited with being financial experts, as one that would materially aid in ending the financial stringency, then at its worst. Before that bill was acted upon pressure upon the finance committee caused it to be side-tracked in order to give the Voorhees silver repeal bill the right of way. And now. although there has been no change in a single law, the banks have more money than they want and instead of wanting toincrease their currency they have begun to surrender it—one New York city bank retired £472,000 of its currency this week and others are preparing to do likewise. This is only a single instance, but it shows how little is really known on the' subject.

The public tariiff hearings, which were concluded this week, took an unexpected turn when a delegation of prominent Democrats from Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland, numbering nearly one hundred, among them the Governor of West Virginia and ex-Senator Davis, made its appearance to protest against the removal or'reduction of the present duty upon bituminous coal. Although unexpected the effect of this demand for protection for a product of three Democratic states, for demand it was, is already apparent and before long will become more so. It will embolden Democratic senators and representatives to make the same demand for products and manufactures of other states.« Of course there is a difference between making the demand and making the new tariff bill, but unless all indications are at fault there will be considerable protection in that new tariff bill before it becomes a a law. * * * The house, after a week of fillibustering and trying to muster

a quorum of Democrats, adopted temporarily one of the most drastic cloture rules, in the ! shape of an order reported from the committee on rules, ever used by s,ny house, before it could get the Tucker bill for the repeal of the Federal election laws reported to the house; and now the country may as well prepare for a period of exciting partisan political debate on that bill, unless Republicans carry out their threat of uniting with [thesilver men to kill the bill. * * * Silver is carried into everything in the senate just now. Senator Vance, of N. C., who is opposed to to the Voorhees has succeeded in “hanging up” the nominations of two collectors of internal revenue in that state, mad.e upon the reccommendation of Senator Ransom, who favors the Voorhees bill.