Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-04-04
WASHING TON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.


rsrtment. which are just now more
,bsn usually arduous, owing to the
,aootiations with the British Min
;ster concerning the arbitration of
the Behring Sea trouble, ard to
numerous matters connected more
or less with the reciprocity clause of
the Mckinley tariff act and various
countries which are anxious to get
the benefits of our markets. These
things will probably keep Mr. Blaine
busy for some time to come, and
there are other international ques-
tons that may arise at any time.
The threat of Newfoundland to
ask for admittance To the Union as
state, and pending the hearing of
the petition by Congress to place
herself under the protection of the
United States, has been much dis
cussed here by international lawyers
and others fond of complicated
questions. In case the threat was
actually carried out and the author
tiles of Newfoundland formally ask
to be admitted as state, what
action would the administration
take? 1t is extremely difficult TO
answer the question, as there are no
precedents upon which to base a
reasonable conjecture. The general
opinion seems to be that the Pres
ident would take no action before
laying the matter before Congress,
because he would not care to have
any decision that he might make
repudiated by the Democratic House
of Representatives,
1t is not considered probable,
however, that Great Britain would
stand idly by and allow Newfound-
land to take such action. AS soon
as she became satisfied that such
action was really seriously contem-
plated the colony would probably
be declared TO be in state of re-
belion and its affairs placed in
charge Of the British military au-
thorties. 1t is hard to tiud a prom
inent man who has given the subject
careful consideration who does not
believe that eventually both Canada
and Newfoundland will become
part of the United States, aud it is
still harder to find man who be-
heyes that Great Britain will fail to
fight for its American possessions.
have never discussed this question
with member of Congress who did
not believe that another war between
this country and Great Britain was
one Of the certainties of the future,
the only differences of opinion be-
ing as to how soon this inevitable
war will come.
The secrets of the corrupt lobby
which hangs around Congress have
queer way of cropping out at un-
expected times and places. In the
trial Of the newspaper correspond
emit. Charles Z. Kineaid, for the
murder Of ex-Representative TauI-
bee, Of kentucky, in the Capitol
little over year ago, which is
now in progress here, ex-Doorkeep en-
OF the House of Representatives,
Samuel Donaldson, when on the
witness stand admitted, under the
sharp cToss-examination of Gen.
Grosernor, one of Kineaid's counsel,
that his occupation in Washington
was Lobbying, and that one of his
principal clients was the Western
Union telegraph company. This
was not news to Postmaster General
Nanamaker, who has some time
since discovered why his postal tee.
graph system was "hung up" in
Congress, as well as the names of
the men who did the lobbying
against it for Jay Gould's tee-
graphic octupus, but it was to a
great many other people who had
often wondered how Sam Donald
son could afford to wine and dine
50 many Democratic members Of
Congress when he had no visible
means Of support.
Postmaster General Wanamaker
gathering information for his
guidance i'll making mail contracts