The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-10-29


such thing can be done. one thing
is very certain, Mr., Blaine's letter,
which contains about nine parts en-
do1sement of the Blaine reciprocity
idea to one Of the Mckinley tariff act,
is not the work OF a sick man, but Of Il
wde-awake politician who is more in
tent upon pushing his own fortunes
lnan upon helping Mckinley. The
fact is that Mr.. Blaine will never for
give Maj. Mckinley for snubbing him
by ignoring every suggestion he made
when the original Mckinley bill was
being constructed, and while he is too
strict Il party man to oppose McKin-
ley's election he would not grieve any
to see him defeated.
The officials Of the state depart
ment are apparently never so happy
as when deceiving the public. After
re peatedly denying that our minister
to China, who by the way happens
to be a good democrat-General Den
w, Of Indiana-had been instructed
30 Join with the other powers in the
recent demand made upon China for
the protection of foreigners resident
in that country, they now acknowl-
edge that such instructions were sent
to him some time ago. There may be
times when these officials would be
justified in temporarily keeping
knowledge in their possession from
the public, but there is never any
time when misstatements by officials
are iustitiable, and least Of all are
they iustifiable in this case, which
may involve the country in war.
Civil Service Commissioner ROOse-
welt is again at his desk, and he is
apparently trying to prevent the
clerks in the government service from
being bulldozed into giving up their
money to political collectors. He says
he intends to have bill introduced
in the next congress to make it a
crime to send circulars to of1icehOld-
ers asking them to make political con-
tributions. Mr.. Roosevelt may be
perfectly honest, but be should not
have prolonged his vacation until the
departments had been worked" if
he really wished to put stop to this
evil.
Representatives Mills and Crisp,
the rivals for the speakership, spent
several days resting in Washington
last week. They have both gone to
fill campaign engagements, Mr.. Mills
to Massachusetts and Mr.. Crisp to
Ohio. The friends of both these gen
tlemen claim their man to be in the
lead in the speakership contest al
though acknowledging that neither
have enough votes to nominate, and
there is more bad feeling shown by
some of their followers than should
exist in a friendly campaign. If this
is not eliminated there is probability
that neither of them will receive the
nomination.
There is q rumOr that Mr.. Harrison
is trying to make some sort Of a COM
binatiom to secure the support of Gen.
Russell A. Alger, who is now in
Washington, it is said, by request of
Mr.. Harrison. 1t seems queer to see
so much trouble being taken to cap
ture an empty honor.
Rev. James M. Townsend, the In
diana colored clergyman who was in
1889 made recorder of the general
land office, has resigned for the pur-
pose of returning to Indiana. 1t was
first rumored that the cOlored preach
er-poltician was going back home to
fight Harrison's denomination, but
the fact has now leaked out that he
goes at the special request of Mr..
Harrison, to see if he cannot quell the
anti-Harrison feeling which has of
late shown itself to be rather strong
among the cOlored voters Of that
state, as it would seriously interfere
with the Harrison program to have it
stated upon the floor of the Republic
can national convention that any con-
siderable body Of voters in his own
state were opposed to his renomina-
| ton.
There are few, if any officials in the
pension office who believe that Gen.
Raum will ever resume his position at
the head of that bureau. tits thought
that his resignation would have been
announced before this, but for the diff
| emily i'm obtaining his successor.