The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-11-21
washington Letter.
(From %ourregular correspondent.)
W n q NJ L. SQA

LChA W At-hAS-
WASHINGTON. D. c., Nov. II, 1890.
Secretary Rusk is working manfully to
rave Mr.. Harrison nominate his friend,
Senator Spooner, to the vacancy upon the
bench of the Supreme Court, and, owing
to the fact that Mr.. Harrison and Senator
Spooper are warm personal friends of many
years standing, it will not be surprising if
he succeeds. But the friends of other can-
didates among the returning Senators and
Representatives are by no means idle and
it may be that some of them W i'll in the
end secure the prize. At any rate the IN
certainty will not be of long duration. as
Mr.. HARRISON, owing to several i'm portant
cases that are being held back by the Su-
preme Court for the action of a full bench.
has promised that the nomination shall be
sent to the Senate as soon as Congress
meets.
The supporters of Representative Mills
for Speaker of the next House are some-
what disconnected by the authorized an
nouncement that Representatiye-elect Dan
Lockwood, of New York is a candidate
for the position. The friends Of Mr.. Mills
had been confidently figuring upon the
active support of ex-President Cleveland.
but now they will lie satisfied if they can
secure Mr.. Cleveland's neutrality in The
fight for the coveted honor Of presiding
over the House. The reason for this sud
den change appears to be that Mr.. Lock
wood claims, or some Of his friends claim
for him, that he was the discoverer and
creator, politically speaking, of Grover
Cleveland, and hat he will ask his aid
now and that Mr.. Cleveland canuot refuse
tude, that basest of all crimes. Represent
alive Springer, another candidate, thinks
he also has claims upon the ex.President.
But an attempt is now being made TO form
a combination which, If successful, will
probably settle Mr.. Lock Gods chances
for the Speakership. The scheme is to
get a majority of the Democratic members
of the next House to agree that DO citizen
of the State which receives the Speaker.
ship, shall get their support for the Presi.
Dental nomination in 1892. Thisis a bold
scheme, but the average Congressman will
lack the nerve to join it unless lie has pos.
tive assurances that it will succeed. and
therein lies its weakness. 1t locks like
serving positive notice upon Messrs. Hill
and Cleveland, the two most prominent
candidates of their party, that New York
can't have the Speakersbip ard the Presi.
Dental nomination too, ard while such
notice would probably reflect the real sen
timents of four.fifths of the Democratic
Re representatives. elect, the number who
would care, one might almost say dare. &c
take any part in serving such a notice i,
small, very small indeed.
Great things are expected of Mr.. Blaine
in the way OF reciprocity III the neal
future but ! must confess that | don't SEE
how he can do anything further thar tc
start the ball to rolling. New Legislation
by Congress will be absolutely necessary
before anything really practical can be
accomplished. True. Mr.. Blaine nav
negotiate reciprocity treaties, bnt rccipro.
city treaties have to be ratified by Senate,
and the same men who brought about ths
defeat of the Mexican and Spanish recipro.
city treaties a few years go are still in the
Senate and their influence is still powerful
and one of th~em-Senator Edmunds-has
sta ted in a public speech upon the floor o.
the Senate that he regarded Mr.. Blaine's
reciprocity ideas as chimerical. That
several reciprocity treaties will be ego.
tiated IN time to be acted upon by the
Senate during the short coming session is
almost a certainty. The new Spanish
minister was selected by his government
for that very purpose, and although lie
only arrived here last week he has already
opened negotiations with Mr.. Blaine.
Negotiations are also pending with several
of the Central and South America repub-
lies, and unless some unforeseen obstacles
turn up will soon be concluded. Recipro-
city would undoubtedly be beneficial 10