The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-29
Washington letter.

&AsIrresrOS. d. G. May -, 1891.
Mr.. Harrison isn't living up TO the
reputation given him by his son Rus
sells paper If he is the brains ~ well
as the head Of the administration, Why
doesn't he take hold Of the very import
ant questions now IN al unsettled con-
dition before the Department of State?
Mr.. Blaine's absence could not have
been better timed if il had been previ-
ousiy arranged-which II may have
been-to give Mr. Harrison an OPP
portunity 10 show the country that Mr..
Blaine has been nothing more than a
clerk TO him. But the gentleman from
Indiana Is too shrewd 10 give himself
away; he finds the matters pertaining TO
the other departments so pressing that
he informed Mr.. Blaine's assistant, who
carried big bundle of papers to the
White House, that he Was 50 busy that
he would defer foreign matters for few
days. In the meantime he is proba-
bly, praying than Mr.. Blaine Will return
before those papers are again brought
TO him.
If Mr.. Blaine should take ii into his
head to go away on the sick list, or TO
resign entirely on the ground of i'll
health, ii would not take long for those
now ignorant on that subject 10 discover
who has furnished the brains for this
administration.
Mr.. Wanamaker is gatherings a scheme
that for pure unadulterated gall sur
passes anything In the history of the
Republican party, and that's saying n
good deal. He wants TO make ten year
contracts with favorite parties for carry
ing the ocean mails IN various directions
under the mail subsidy act of the last
Congress. OF course that involves the
ultimate expenditure of many millions
of dollars, while the appropriation made,
which was for only one year, was s, 500
600. Mr. Harrison approves of the
scheme, and In order to give 1t bet
ter aspect the question has been referred
to the Attorney General for an opinion
as TO whether the Postmaster General
has legal right to make contracts to
run ten years. OF course he will decide
that he has, and then the country Will
have the pleasure of seeing forty of fifty
millions of its money placed where it
will help to renominate and re-elect
Mr.. Benjamin Harrison Whatever
other people may think Mr.. Harrison
doesn't think that he made q mistake
in putting John Wanamaker at the head
Of the Postoffice.
Another little scheme of Mr.. Wana-
makers WAS the establishment of a reg
ular mail service to Alaska and the
awarding of the contract for carrying
the mails to the North American Com
mercial company, whose steamers have
to go there anyway, and whose business
makes probably ninety-nine hundredths
of the mail to and from there. This
company didn't make any money
taking seals last year, and the admins
tration sympathizes with il to the ex-
tent of an entirely unnecessary mail
contract.
\ party of prominent Democrats were
gathered in the parlor Of a private resi-
dcnce one evening this week, although
the circumstances preclude the use of
names, the conversation was too inter
esting AT times to be entirely lost, so l
reproduce a portion of it herewith:
did you know" asked Southern
Senator, that the Florence, South Car
alma, Times, had run UP the name Of
Wade Hampton for Vice President?
Wish We could get him there" said
q western Representative.
II join heartily with you" said an
Eastern Representative, land / can tell
you how it can Be done"
How" asked everybody in chorus.
well, you see,' he replied, The
Democratic party has three great prizes
to distribute, the Presidency, the Vice
Presidency, and the Speaker of the
House of Representatives. Now you
all know that am not in favor of sec
- 4
nize the fact that the country Is almost
certain TO be geographically divided in
TO three parts and that one of these
great prizes viii go TO the South, one to
the East, and one TO the West, and /
don't think anybody can say that that
isn't an equitable method of distribu-
ton. All the South has got to do if it
wants a place upon the national ticket
is to let the Speakership go to the East
or West"
"A bird in the hand" laughed
Southern Representative who is in the
line OF the Speakership lightning him
self.
but have you got it in the hand?''
retorted the Eastern man.
You just wait and See" said the
Southerner.
now l should like to see Wade pre-
side over the Senate" said Senator
who had been an interested listener,
but if he was nominated wouldn't the
Farmers Alliance and the Southern
States defeat the ticket as they did him
for the Senate?
That's = side of the question that
had not occurred to ME, said the gen.
tieman who started the conversation;
"but | would not fear to wager all l
possess that national ticket with Wade
Hampton's name on il could carry
South Carolina against anything that
could be pitted against it; only nomi-
nate him, and my word for it he will be
elected" N.