The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-02-16
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent

to become Secretary of the Treasury.
Mr.. Plumb discreetly keeps his own
counsel, but some of his closest friends
have been talking, which accounts
for the matter having gotten out.
Senator Ingalls,, in reply to a ques-
ton, said that he did not know
whether General Harrison had made
such an offer to Senator Plumb, but
he doubted very much whether Mr..
Plumb would accept it if it were
made.
Representative Thomas, of Illinois,
will be the next Secretary CT the
Navy, unless my informant, who by
the way gave me the first news of
Mr., BIaine's acceptance of the State
portfolio, is mistaken. Mr.. Thomas is
member of the House Committee
on Naval affairs, and is the designer
of what Naval officers consider to be
one of the best plans yet submitted
Lfor an armored cruiser. Those who
JKnow Mr.. Thomas best, think that
he will make a model Secretary of
the new Navy.
Desperate efforts are being made
by many of the officials under the
present administration to get them
selves quartered on Uncle Sam in
some permanent capacity. The
friends of Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury Thompson have succeeded
in getting his name sent to the Sen
ate as Civil Service Commissioner.
in place of Commissioner Edgerton,
whom Cleveland peremptorily re-
moved in order to get Thompson a
chance of being confirmed by the
Senate. The removal of Edgerton
leaves only one Commissioner
Lyman, a Republican - and the
friends of Thompson will endeavor
to persuade the Republican Senators
that be should be confirmed, and
that the other vacancy will be left
for Gen. Harrison to fill with a Re-
publican. A very ingenious plan,
but what effect it will have is yet to
be seen.
Then First Assistant Postmaster
General Stevenson is after lifetime
job. Owing to recent death, there
is a vacancy on the supreme Court of
the District of Columbia, and Steven
son has made a dead set at the APP.
pointment. Mr.. Cleveland may NOM
mate him, but there is little proba.
bility that the Republican Senators
will confirm the man who openly
regretted that the official day was
not longer so that he might remove
more Republican postmasters.
Democrats of the House say that
the SeEate Tariff bill will be reported
from the committee on Ways and
Means this week. Lively times are
expected over it.
Mr.. Blaine has taken a long lease
on the residence which was formerly
occupied by Hon. w. II. Seward
President Lincoln's Secretary of
State. 1t is peculiarly appropriate
that the residence occupied by the
Secretary of State of the first Repuh-
lican administration. at the beginning
of the first twenty-five years Of that
party's power, should be now. at the
beginning Of the party's second quar-
ter-century of ascendency, be again
occupied by the same official. 1t is a
good omen.
The conferees on the Springer "Om-
nibus' bill failed to come to any
agreement. No report has yet been
made to either House, but a caucus
of Republican Senators have decided
to stand by the Senate amendments,
which so far as can see settles the
fate of the bill. but Mr.. Springer still
thinks the bill will pass. He says
that three Republican Senators will
vote with the Democrats to admit
New Mexico. Perhaps they may,
but if so it will be the first time that
Republican Senator has voted
against party caucus, in my recol-
lection.
Secretary Bayard has again put his
foot in it. He has forced Mr.. Sewell
U. s. Consul General to Samoa, to
resign because that official gave the
foreign committees of the House and
Senate a true statement of affairs in
those islands-a statement that was
necessarily uncomplimentary to the
State department. The removal of
Mr.. Sewell at this time is regarded
as particularly unfortunate because it
will appear to the natives of the island
as though it was done through fear
of Germany. and as rebuke to him
for brayely insisting on American
rights. So strong does this view of
the case strike Senator Frye that he
says if he has any influence with the
! next administration Sewell shall 90