People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 December 1894 — FROM WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

FROM WASHINGTON.

Ail Interesting Bateb of News From the Capitol. From our Regular Correspondent. Washington. Dec. 21. 1894. The administration is finding that the task of forcing the socalled Carlisle currency bill through the house is one of gigantic proportions. The debate had scarcely begun before the administration plan of having the bill voted on this week had to be abandoned, because of the fear that if a vote was had this week a majority would bo against the bql. The Republicans and the Populists of the house are to a man opposed to the bill, and not enough Democrats have declared in its favor to make it§ pn«;sage certain. That is why Rebate is to be extended over -the Christmas recess, which will be from Saturday afternoon to Wednesday, Jan. 3. How long the debate will continue in j January will depend, if present plans are adhered to, upon the action of the caucus of the Democrats of the house which is to be held immediately after the reassembling of congress. The fate of the bill is considered to be very doubtful, even by its strongest advocates, while many of its opponents express the opinion that it is already dead, o • • It does not take long for even the most unobservant man to discover that members of the senate are adepts in the art of looking out for number one. An instance may be found in the failure of the senate committee on interstate commerce to act promptly upon the railroad pooling bill, recently passed by the house. It is a bill about which there wide differences ol opinion, and the prediction is made that it will not be taken up for action in the senate until tin several state legislatures which are to meet in January act upoi the candidacy of the senator.'who are after re-election. Tht pooling bill furnishes a numbei of senators with a club to hole over the heads of the railroad interests. The probabilities al favor the final passage of tin pooling bill, but all the sarin the railroad influence would bt thrown against the re-election of any senator known to be opposed to it; hence the senatorial desire to let the bill rest unth the senatorial elect ions are over. • • • A canvass of the house is nov being quietly made that will de termine whether silver is*to cul an v figure in the legislation o: this session. If a sufficient number will pledge themselves t( vote for it to make its passage i certainty it is proposed at th< proper stage in the debate to offer a bill for the free coinagr of silver as a substitute for tin Carlisle currency bill. Shoul< such a bill be passed by tin aouse there would be no trouble in getting it through the senate, as the silver men are stronger ii the latter body than ever before.

Representative Walker, o! Massachusetts, who heads the minority on the house committe< on banking and currency and who is the author of the financial scheme upon which the “Baltimore plan,” which is said to have been the basis of the Carlisle bill, now before the house, was built, is in no danger of suffering from an attack of overmodesty. He said in the course of a speech in favor rs his bill, which he proposes u< offer as a substitute for the Car lisle bill: “It is my voice thai has reused the country upoi this subject, and my views had not a friend until within the past fifteen mouths. My addresses at Chicago, St. Louis, other places shook up the country some.” The country will doubtless thank Mr. Walker for so much information, even if it declines to endorse his bill. • • • Whether speech is free in Washington or not is a question

that is being asked since the commissioners of the District of Columbia asked for and received the resignation of a public school trustee because at a public meeting he used the following language referring to the house committee on appropriations: “I never was so much in favor of home rule before I appeared before that committee. The haphazard and indifferent way in which they transact their business and the promposity and egotism of their manner is enough to arouse any man’s indignation.” This trustee had only been on the board a few months, having been appointed because of the endorsement ol all the labor organizations. This matter will be heard from again. • • • “If there should be an awful accident at the government printing office,” said a gentle man conversant with the methods which have prevented the purchase of a site for a new building, “resulting in a large loss of life, I would noii exchange places with ex Senator Mahone for any amount of mom-y. He would feel like a murderer, for he has for four years prevented the erection of a new government printing office, because tht government. w : ll not buy at *1.50 some ground he bought foi about 15 cents a foot, and upon which he has not for years paid any taxes. He has the suppon of the coterie of senators known as the ‘John Chamberlain gambling house crowd,’ and if more influential, in thin matter at least, than when he held the balance of power in the senate.” The senate and house committees are making a last attempt to overthrow the Mahone influence, and agree upon a site to be purchased, aud the result is in doubt.