Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1891-05-22
WHOLE NUMBER 1857.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Irregular Correspondence OF the Standard. }
WASIyINGToy MavS 1901

III DenrlnS sea tnat We are 10 humbly
back down? That is the talk here
now. According to my information,
Mr.. Blaine has discovered that We have
nothing to arbitrate and that RUSSIA
never set up any such claims as he has
done when she was the owner of Alas
ka, and does not now recognize that
the United States has any such rights.
As the story goes, as soon as Mr.. Blaine
saw that we had not the slightest show
under the proposed arbitration he began
to search for hole to crawl out of
with as little loss of dignity as possible.
He began then to lay wires for triple
international agreement between the
United States, Russia and England,
for the prevention OF the eindiscriminate-
killing of seals in Behring Sea, and
now, it is said, that pending further
negotiations no seals are to be taken
at all this season. Officials at the State
and Treasury departments refuse 10
either confirm or deny this story.
A whole week has gone by without
new and entirely different statement
from the preceding one Of the condition
of the Treasury having been given out.
Last week there were three or four Of
them. Mum is the word now, while
the Secretary and his expert account
ants are preparing the figures for the
presto change statement, which IL
it meets with Mr.. Harrison's approval,
and OF that there is little doubt, is TO
be given to the public on the first OF
June. The intention is to follow Re-
publican precedent by manipulating
the trust funds in the monthly state
ment of the national debt in such
way as to show large available sur.
plus where practically none exists.
The first mutterings of q storm in
the ranks OF the Republican party are
being heard here. So far, Mr.. Harrison
has apparently had it all his own way
in his march towards q second nomina-
ton, and none of his party have seen
fit to attempt to make any organized
opposition to him, but squalls are ahead
for him, This week, Representative
Farquhar, Of New York, has openly
stated here his belief that Harrison
could not possibly be elected, and an
Indiana Republican OF prominence has
said that Harrison could not carry that
State. These are straws showing the
drift of Republican sentiment.
The Blaine men can not be kept
down much longer ;4hey hate Harrison,
and every time that Russell Harrison's
newspaper in its silly attempts 10
make glory for Harrison casts q slur
upon Blaine, that hatred is intensified.
These men would rather see Demo
crat elected than have to stand Harri.
son for another four years; and, mark
the prediction, in six months they will
be shouting that sentiment from the
house-tops. Mr.. Blaine may be per-
fectly willing that Mr.. Harrison should
be renominated, although I have ae-
rious doubts of it, but his friends are
not. They hope, of course to nomi.
nate Blaine, whether he consents or
not, but they are determined, % will
be seen before long, that in any event
Harrison shall not be the nominee, II
they can prevent it, and they think
they can. There's music ahead a.
sure as you are born, and with good
management the Democrats can march
to victory keeping time with it.
If the opinion OF leading members
of the party as expressed here lately
have any influence with the Demo-
cratic caucus OF the House of Repre-.
sentatives the next speaker Of the
House will certainly be . Southern
man. These gentlemen have argued
that the South is entitled either 10 the
Speakership or to place on the na-
tional ticket, and that it would be bet.
ter politics to give it the Speakership.
II Southern man is to be Speaker, il
will probably be either Representative
Crisp, of Georgia, Representative Mills,
of Texas, or Representative McMiIlin,
of Tennessee. Either one of then,
would suit me. therefore can speak
of their chances without prejudice
Mr.. Mills was largely in the lead q
month before the adjournment Of Con.
gress, but it now looks as il Mr.. Crisr
was ahead. and were it not for the
liquor dealers national organization,
which, it is stated here, will bitterly
fight him, should select him as the
winner. Mr.. McMillin has surprised 9
good many people by developing more
strength than he had been credited
with; but his only hope Of winning /,
in the event of a protracted struggle
between the two first named candidates
which many shrewd observers are nov
predicting as certain TO occur.
Government officials decline TO ex
press any opinion for publication on
the report of the New Orleans grand
jury on the lynching Of tho Italians
but privately the universal verdict ID
"just what i expected" and many
people have recalled the words oI
Edmund Burke. "A whole people
cannot be indicted"
Senators Brice, Villas, Hill and Cor.
don will all sit in the rear row Of seats
on the Democratic side when the
Senate meets next December.
Venzuela has accepted the recip-
rocity proposition made TO her by this
government. Dxx.
EASTERN shad that were planted in
the Columbia river q few years ago,
have done remarkably well, and these
I'll. - n