The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-28
THE CABINET SPLIT.
President Harrison Would Give
Chile No Time.
BLAINE COULDN'T CONTROL HIM
Eikins and Rusk Also Took the Sensible
view-Mfnister Montt MfsIed the
Santiago Cabinet.

wasHisGToy CITY, Jan. 27.-fSpecial. +
1t developed today that there was split
in the cabinet over the Chilean contro-
versy. The first real difference occurred
at the special meeting held on Sunday.
As is well known, Secretary Blaine has all
along advised no hasty action toward the
Chilean government. It has become
pretty well understood heretofore that
PRESIDENT Harrison desired to bring mat
ters to a.crisis long before he did. Blaine's
opposition, it is generally believed, pre-
vented the president from sending IN his
message TO congress earlier than Monday.
SO far as can be learned, Secretary of War
EIkins is with Blaine in his opposition to
the presidents policy toward Chile. 1t is
also believed that Secretary Rusk leans to-
ward Blaine. Secretary Tracy, Attorney
General Miller. and probably Secretary No
bic, are with Harrison. Secretary Foster
is not in town, and 50, Of course, his views
are not known.
The trouble in the cabinet is said to have
eliminated at yesterdays meeting. 1t is
believed that the breach is SO wide that
the members will never be brought to-
gether amicably.
Some go so far as to intimate that Blaine
will withdraw from the cabinet on account
of the present trouble. If this is done it
is probable that the people of the country
will be with him when the true facts in the
imbroglio with Chile are made public.
Those who have information on this point
today intimate that the president has all
along been too hasty, and they intimate
further that il was because of desire to
gain public approval of his policy in the
interest of his recommendations.
Ii was impossible, of course, TO secure
either denial or confirmation of this
rumor from administration sources. To-
day several attempts were made by news
paper men to run down the rumor. but
every attempt proved futile. There is just
possibility that the difficulty may be
settled without the real status OF the case
being made public. This would be the
most polite course to pursue and if there
Is breach in the cabinet every effort will
be made to heal it.
There has been much speculation as TO
the time the administration received the
first intimatIon of the apology and conces-
sion, and some members of congress even
hazard statement that the president re-
eeiyed the reply before the executive mes
sage was communicated to congress on
Monday. This false impression, which
threatened to become general in
some quarters tonight, Chairman Blount
seeks TO correct. "As / understand it,"
said he, 'the dispatch from Chile was re-
ceiyed by the administration early Tues
day morning. At 1910 o'clock I had
from the president confidential message
that the dispatch had been received from
Chile at the state department, but was not
yet translated, so Chlle's answer was not
received until the morning following
transmission of the presidents message to
congress-"
SANTIAGO, Jan. 2T.-Until Saturday
Chile, relying upon advices received from
Minister Mont of pacific assurances given
him constantly by Blaine, considered the
settlement practically arranged, especially
as Chile. through President Montt, had
gwen counter assurances of friendly
feeling and of desire to satisfy all reason
able demands. President Months posi-
ton, the correspondent says, is now ser
iously compromised
New York Herald Special "A report
reaches me that the cabinet is much dis
satisfied with the course of Montt, Chilean
minister at Washington City. His last
message, received Friday, it is said, as
sured the government that the affair was
coming TO speedy conclusion.
Montt has all along led the president
and his advisers to believe Blaine was de-
sirous of submitting the whole affair to
arbitration. Some think Pedro Montt
was misled by Ricardo L. Trumbull, Julio
Foster and other Democrats friends.