New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-02
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
" JOE CANNON AND HIS CANVASS FOR THE
sPEAKERSHIP.
EXPLORING ASIA FOR DIVORCE STAIiSiioo-
TWO ILLINOIS PEsTs-sPARKs's REVENUE
-. WASHINGTON CHARACTER.


TWO ILLINOIS PEsTs-srARKs's REVENGE
A WASHINGTON CHARACTER.
Washington Dec. I.-Evcrybody in town knows
that joe Cannon of Illinois, is candida'e ior
sneaker If the next House. while Tom Reed Is In
different and Major Mckinley Is uncertain whether
or not to male a dash for the prize Representative
Cannon IS imprcssing his claims upon the members
I'm q pood natred way that does not offend those who
have other preferences lie reasons that thc speak
ershlp is coming his way In the natural oruer ol
events and whenever he meets a group OF members
who arc committed Reed. Mckinley, or butter
worth Mr. Cannon doesn't try to argue them out oil
their choice lie merely tells them a story III Is
about Quaint old citizen out in the Wabash country
who wanted TO be supervisor, but, like tho great
body OF American citizens who consent to serve the
public wished the office to seek the man. 10 no
began to lay the wires early by repeating from 'me
TO time that the Office of supervisor In that parucu
lar year would be Of great Importance mat much
care should be taken in choosing the man, ana so on
These homes always concluded with this expression
of opinion
a. tell you now, nelghbors, It's my deliberate edg
ment that we should elect only the httngest man.
That's what my deliberate Judgment is"
His neighbors understood the case and had agreed
among themselves that Uncle Zeke, as he was called,
should be gratned in his humble ambition lie under
stood It also but no hint was given on either side
The day of the caucus and after candidates had
been named for various positions, the ONCE OF
supervisor was reached In spirit OF fun severai
pushing young politicians had been suggested, pu'
when nominations were called for there was no re-
sponse Finally some suggested that the position
was an important and before making any nomlnar
lions he thought they ought TO hear what ohcie Hehe
Robinson had 10 say about IT'S responsibilities. The
nrospective SUPERVISOR after little urging repeated
his well known views and gave his -iberate ledg-
IL ~ ehN ha oh
When he finished there was pause, until the chalr-
man cheerfully remarked
"Thats all true Uncle Zeke but we're here 10 ma
out who Is the 'frnGcst mans
Uncle Zekc drew himself up and with dignity not
unmarked by rcproach for the lack OF insight shown
by his fellow citizens, said
al didn't reckon there'd be question bout that
among my nelghbors. My deliberate Judgment Is
that he won't found among them roosters'-pointng
to the young fellows whose names he had heard men,
toned
And he wasn't
Mr. Cannon leaves his hearers to mako the applica-
ton Of the story. good many years ago his
neighbors thought he the ftngest man. to be
County Attorney Then they took notion that he
ought 60 to Congress- and next March he VIII enter
upon his ninth term. The Illinois delegation has
reached the conclusion that he IS the fttinges man"
for Speaker, and It will support him solidly. lie
doesn't quarrel with the friends OF ROSTERS like
Reed and Mckinley whose terms have not been so
long but he does quietly tell them he hopes when the
timc comes they viii fall in line with the supporters
Of the fttlnges man. whose name he believes Is
Joseph c. Cannon
There must be either deli htful degree Of elasticity
about the actpassed late as June 81, 1es4-whlch
provided for the new Bureau of Labor" else there
is a charming latitude in the Interpretation OF It's
provisions by Commissioner Carroll D. Wright |
dine Ia nd
Asia on the part OF special agents of this Interesting
bureau. salaries and expenses paid, for he purpose
Of obtaining data relative to divorces in foreign
countries
hear that one conscientious Government agent
visited England Ireland Scotland and Wales, and then
by easy stages pursued his important inquiries on the
Continent by way Of Paris, Berlin and Rome, where
ba vintercd In the shadow of 81. Peters. Then
turning norhward, this official pilgrim reached St.
Petersburg whence he journeyed in southerly direc-
ton until he reached Cons tantlnople Palestine and
Jerusalem. This, without mentioning the intermediate
stopping places II mnrr interest, makes up quite
pleasant and Instructive itinerary, although the col
lection of divorce statistics in tho land of the Moslcm
would appear TO be work of supcrcrogatiOn as d.
vorces in that torrd cline generally supposed to
be conduct ted, might say, secundum artem,' in
sufficiently brief and summary manner the fair sinner
being usually sewn up in a sack and consigned to the
Bosphorus.
now. while IT may doubtless be a delightful and in
structve thing for members Of this peculiarly favored
Bureau sail abroad like Aeneas of old and see men,
manners and cites,' at Government expense and I'M
der reform Administration, still should think that
the city of Chicago would have afforded ample
enough of information upon the subject of di-
vorces, and much nearer home, to Mr. Wright and
his friends. But perhaps they were only anxious to
furnish Hale Committee with subject for nvesti
cation this winter If that their object. by all
49, 1fvbf M 81,
us the workings and especially the good which this
costly Bureau has accomplished, since 1t was called
into life.
Colonel Bill" Morrison never tires of exulting
over the defeat of Jchu Baker. Tho friends of the
say that this defeat is due, than anything
else, TO Morrson's failure TO run against him, and in
the exchange Of clvtcs the Illinois tariff smashcr
doesn't Gifted come of first best. II Is fact that
whenever he had Morrison for antagonist Jehu
Baker elected to Congress. Both Democrats and
Republicans to agree that II Morrison had
made the this year he would surely have been
beaten. lie evidently felt himself, for he was dis
Greet enough TO have another man nominated Ba-
kers friends say that the fact that Morrison wasn't
up caused somo them tako less interest in the
struggle than usual and the result of this careless
ness was plurality OF II for the Democratic candi
date. The tariff smashcr, however, gets great deal
of comfort out of the situation Politics in his neigh
bOrhOOd have always been bitterly personal, and the
Morrison family has been noted for IT'S anmosities
on the other hand its enemies have not been lacking
in the vlgor Of their hatred. General Logan used
tell story for which the tariff reforrncr himself
vouched and which a good Illustration Of this
feeling.
Colonel MorrsOn's ancestors settled in Southern
Illinois before the beginning of the present century
they Indian traders first, country storekeep-
crs next, and politicians always. Back In the '4os
or sos tho Governor Of the Prairie State was John
Reynolds, an eccentric and egotstical man. but
pioneer OF uncommon force I'm his influence on public
affairs He lived down I'm the swamp country where
the Morrisons held sway, and many wero
the fierce political battles he had with
them On retiring from the executive office
Governor Reynolds wrote history Of the State
be ginning with the white settlement and ending with
Ia ndrn rntIn hriril nI ali