The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-05-13
Especial correspondence

of the senate cloakrooms. That is what
we all like to get. We like to heal
what the senators are talking about
among themselves while sitting on thei1
easy chairs or reclining on their luxu.
rious sofas in the privacy Of their senate
retiring rooms. In these appointments a
majority of the senators spend most of
their time. The company there is con-
genial, the stories good, the cigars fra
grant, the gossip fresh and interesting.
Here the progress of legislation, the
movements of parties, the ambitions of
men are discussed as nowhere else in
this country-by the men themselves
and by the leaders and makers of parties
and nominations. These cloakrooms
are the news center of the United
States. They are clearing house of in
formation, of tittle-tattle. These SEN
ators are for the most part big men in
their states. Each and every one of
them has hundreds of the best informed
men in his part of the country writing
him letters all the time or sending him
hints as to the state of public feeling
and as to what is going on in the great
world of the people.
Members of the house, as rule, owe
a certain sort of allegiance to the sena-
tors from their states, and are hewers
of fact and carriers of intelligence for
them. Naturally under these circum-
stances the senators who infest the
cloakrooms have great many things
to talk about Republican senators
and Democratic senators mix together.
They do not have many secrets one
from another. l am told that the poor
est place in the world to keep a secret
is the cloakroom of the senate. 1t may
not get beyond the smoke tinted walls
of these private corridors, for there is a
senatorial tradition that what is uttered
there must not be repeated outside, but
in an hour or two new story or
fresh bit of gossip is known all over
the senate.
A few days ago l spent an evening
with prominent senator. "Tell me
some of the gossip of your cloakrooms,"
said l. "For instance, whom are you
senators nominating for president and
vice president nowadays? And who is
going to be elected"
"You want to know too much" smil-
ingly replied my senatorial friend; you
want to know more than we know. But
Il will tell you few of the things we are
laying up there in the cloakrooms, when
be sit around and smoke and exchange
STORIES and ideas. We have come to the
conclusion that President Harrison will
be renominated without opposition at
Minneapolis. On this we have no differ |
ences of opinion. Moreover, the ticket |
will be the old ticket over again-Har-
rison and Morton. suppose you know
that Mr.. Harrison is not popular in the
senate. Even among the Republican
senators there is a strong disposition to
say unkind and sharp things about him.
Many of these senators don't want Mr.. |
Harrison renominated, and they have
tried their best to find a way to beat him.
But they have now given up all hope of
being able to do so. Blaine was their |
last chance. Had Blaine consented to
run 1 can tell you as bit of inside news
that President Harrison would not have
permitted his name to go before the con-
vention. The president is not nearly as
eager for another term as some people |
think he is. If there was any serious
opposition to him / am told he would |
not take the trouble to fight for second |
nomination. But when Blaine declined |
it left the field so clear that all the presi-
dent had to do was to sit still and take
what came to him without effort on his |
part.
'"The Republican senators who don't
want Harrison nominated have been
trying in every way in their power TO
set up man who could beat him. They
have discussed the strength and avail
ability of about score of possible
rivals, but without reaching any agree
ment. They have talked of Alger, of
Cullom, of Mckinley, of Gresham, of
Allison, of Platt, the senator from Con-
necticut, and lot more. But to every
man proposed some objection has been
urged, and they have finally settled
down into a feeling of hopelessness.
Their last programme was to send word
throughout the country that unin-
structed delegates should be sent to the
Minneapolis convention; that conserva-
tive men were to be chosen to represent
the party in the national convention.
Their hope was that when the conven-
ton met, if a majority of its members
were uninstructed and unpledged, ma
and combination could be de-
pended upon to find way to beat the
president. Even this plan has not
worked; it is clear that a large ma
jority of the delegates to the Mime
apolis convention will be for Harrison.
Not one of the senators of whom l speak
has hope any more that the president
will be defeated"
"What is the trouble between the
president and these senators of his own
party-why have they not got on well
togetherg'
alt all comes from the friction Incl
dent to the distribution of patronage
That is all there is to it. The president
Is one of the most stubborn and indie
pendent men we have ever had in the
White House. He has had his own way
about everything. Sometimes he has
done what the senators wanted him to
do and sometimes he hasn't. There is
always trouble between president an
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