New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-25
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
MEN AND AFFAIRS AT THE NATIONAL
CAPITAL
THE DUKE OF NASSAU AND HIS sox-PoLITICAL
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CLERKs-TALK
ABOUT Mr.. BLAINE-SPANISH

THE DUKE OF NASSAU AND HIS soN-PoLITICAL
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM cLERKs-TALK
ABOUT Mr. BLAINE-sPANIsH
POPULAR LANGUAGE.
Washington, Nov. 24.-The death Of the King
OF Holland is the occasion of some speculation In
diplomatic circles in Washington. 1t is said that
there are large number of people in Holland VINO
Will object very seriously to the young Princess
| succeeding her father This class OF oDlcctors
would prefer the Duke of Nassau, who has been
for several years prominently mentioned In con-
nectlon with the succession. In the event OF
dispute the candidacy of the Duke of Nassau would
| undoubtedly be supported by Germany saw the
Duke last spring in Vienna at the annual exhibition
OF horsemanship given by the officers OF the Aus
trian army The horse-show was given in the
Prater The Duke, who is fond of outdoor
sports and is passionate admirer of horses, was
| one of the first to arrive. The Duke was accom-
panied by his son. The former is slight-built
man in the neghborhood of sixty years of age.
He had the ruddy color Of a man who lives out
In the open DIR Ills features were regular and
small A snowy white mustache family shaded
thin-lpped mouth. He wore then the uniform of
the Austrian Imperial Guards. His short-skirtcd.
tight, blue military coat was butiOned tightly
| about his compact youthful figure. His black,
red-striped trousers were tightly strapped down
over patent leather boots, upon which were q
pair of silver spurs A darll.blne, god-laced
cap was cooked auntly over his snOwwhite. close
cropped hair. lie was the recipient of much at
tentiOn. But it was his son who was constantly
spoken Of by the Austrians as the heir to the
| throne of Holland. Probably this was on ac-
count of the apparent delicacy and advanced age
of the father. The son, who WAS in the same uni
form as his father, is much shorter and much
stouter. The young Duke, as he is called, is
about thirty years of age. He is swarthy His
hair is black and his round moon-shaped face is
| ornamented with small black mustache, which
curls at the corners OF his thick-pped mouth.
His eyes are round and intensely black. The son
is languid and slow in his movements. while the
father is the reverse. The elder man looked ener
getic although he is reserved and says but little
| when out among his friends. 1t was the young
| man who was the target of the critics and the
| gOssps. The two men showed great interest at
first in the riding but they could with difficulty
conceal their amusement at the lack of skill shown
| by the Austrian officers the latter have good
| reputation throughout the world as hOrscmcn,
| but il must be that their reputation is obtained
| for them b. the feats of the Hungarans who
| are in the Austrian service Upon this special
occasion, where the picked men of the best regi-
| ments rode the Anstrians nearly always failed
when any difficult feat Of riding was attempted.
| The number OF men thrown completely off at
| single hurdles was most astonishing. The only
good riding was shown by the Hungarians.
| Mr.. Roosevelt was at the White House Satur
day asking for recommendations upon the part of
the President for legislation to give further pro-
| lection to the clerks in the employ of the Gov
crnment against political assessments Mr.. Roose.
welt says that the present law is not sufficient.
1t provides that clerk shall be asked for po-
litcal contributions in the Bureaus of the Gov
| eminent. But there is nothing in the law
TO prevent political agents from seeking ont
Government employees at their homes and bring
ing pressure to bear upon them there lie wants
the law so amended that it shall not he permitted
to ask for political contributions from clerks in
any place. l am told that the position af the De
partment clerk in Washington has improved very
much under the Civil Service law, and that the
character of the people in the Departments was
never higher than now. well-knOwn Washing
ton merchant said to me yesterday: :" All of this
old talk about the reckessness and dissipation to
he found among the employees of the Government
would be now absolute nonsense. The majority
of them are steady, careful of their money,
and nearly all of them under the security given
them by the Civil Service law are buying their
own homes. This is one of the reasons for the
permanent character Of the Improvements in Wash
ingtOn. A number Of rich people are constantly
coming here and building fine houses, but their
number at best is limited and the prosperity of
the town has to depend to great extent upon
the people of moderate means"
The favorite topic of conversation at the Cap
ital among the Democrats concerns Mr.. Blaine.
1t would seem as il the Democrats were specially
inspired with knowledge concerning his plans.
Every Democrat that have met appears to be-
lieve that Mr. Blaine is busily engaged in making
political plans for the future instead of attending
directly to the business Of the Department OF
State. There is one who really pretends to
have scrap of information from Mr. Blaine
upon the subject The Democrats generally
regard him as PRESIDENTIAL canul-
date, ind apparently forget the position
sumed by Mr. Blaine when he declined a nomina-
ton two years ago. One does not need any in.
formation from any one to make good prediction
concerning the Secretary of States future when
the reason for his dcclinatiOn two years ago is
called to mind. TIE real and absolute reason for
his Paris letter of withdrawal not made prom
inent at that time. Those who knew
Mr.. Blaine only in public sense never
have quite understood why he insisted upon
declining nomination when il was so evident that
he could have been nominated with his mere APP
prevail The reason was this: Mr.. Blaine is
one of the proudest men who ever held high office.
In the campaign of six years ago, when he OOcu-
pied the dignifed place Of chief of his party, he
was defeated through accident After having
been once selected as the chief standard-beapr OF
his party he could not without detriment 10 his
self-respect permit himself to be again candidate
if that place was to be the subject Of contest. IL
there had been no candidates in the field two years
ago and he had been unanimously selected again
he would undoubtedly have accepted the nomina-
ton | do not believe that his opinion of two
wears ago upon this subject has been changed. l
do not believe that he would ever be candidate
again if it involved a contest with others Those
therefore who represent him making cam
paiqn or in any way lifting his hand TO influence
the future speak without knowledge OF for the
purpose of Misrepresentation.
One OF the effects of the South American policy
in the State Department is shown in the increase