The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-12-07
M'KAIC IN HOT WATER.
He Fears that Free Coal May Injure
His Chances IN the Future

IOu, -. -, OIl NV YIN W H0', A"S
the following to say concerning the
political future Of the Congressman
who is supposed to be representing
the voters of Maryland's Sixth Con-
gressional District at present.:
The political effect of the pend
ing upheaval of the tariff is being
carefully figured upon and closely
considered by the politicians who
have so far arrived in Washington,
for the winter. The Maryland
members have heretofore been con-
spicuous by their absence, and seem
to have affected indifference to this
phase of the question. Entrenched
behind their heavy Democratic ma
iorities, and believing that the king
can do no evil, they are, for the
most part. Iookers-on in Vienna"
while schedules are being slashed
and the tariff system remodeled.
Congressman McKaig of the Sixth
district, is an exception, however.
The aggressive little leader in West
ern Maryland is said to be in de-
cided quandary. Mr.. McKaig is
not at all sure that be will return
to Congress from the Sixth district.
While the Democrats there main
tain that the tariff had nothing
whatever to do with the loss of their
tickets in all the Western Maryland
counties except Montgomery, this
fall, they concede that the tariff
will have a great deal to do with
the coming congressional elections,
and that free coal would mean an
immensely increased Republican
majority in Allegany and Garrett
counties, to prevent which the
Democrats would have to pull an
unprecel tented vote in Washington,
Frederick and Montgomery coun-
ties to retain control of the Sixth
district.
General McKaig's quandary
arises out Of the fact that many of
his friends think it debatable
whether it will not be wiser for him
to abandon all hopes of a congress
sional nature and by vigorously
supporting the administration's tar
if bill so earn its gratitude and put
himself in position to receive a
lucrative appointment, say, per-
haps, the naval office at Baltimore,
or whether it Will not be better for
him to stake his fortunes on the
fight for duty on coal. Philip P.
Avirett, the managing editor of the
Cumberland Evesimg Times, which
is generally considered the organ OF
Senator German and Mr. McKng
in Western Maryland, has spent the
past week. between here and New
York trying to ascertain what will
be done with the duty on coal and
how it will affect the political com =
pleXions of the gentlemen with
whom he is allied. He gives it as
his opinion that the duty on semi
bituminous coal will be stricken off
by the Wilson bill as reported from
the committee, Mr.. Wilson agreeing
to it for the sake of consistency.
He thinks that a duty of thirtv-fiye
cents per ton will probably be
tackled on in the House. and by the
time the bill runs the gauntlet of
Senator German and those Of his
colleagues who fought for the pres
ent duty on coal at the time the
Mills bill contemplated such radi-
cal change, that duty of fifty
cents will be placed upon coal as a
retaliation upon Canada for her
duty of sixty cents per ton upon
that product. He says that he
finds many operators in the United
States willing to agree to reciprocity
in bitumlnous coal with Canada,
the reason being that the abolition
of the sixty cents per ton now paid
in the Canadian custom house
would, with the cheap transporta
ton offered coal by the Canadian
railroad, enable American coal men
to carry their coal from seventy five
to one hundred miles farther into
Canada, where a finer fuel than the
"Nova Scotian culm" as the Amer
lean operator CONTEMPORARY calls
it, is demanded for the trans Allan
tic trade. This Nova Scotia coal
will be dangerous in the opinion of
Mr.. Avirett, who says his opinion
is shared by men like Frederick Z.
Saward, of the Coal Trade Journal,
chiefly because when mixed with
our own buckwheat No. , and pea
sized anthracite Goals, or when the
Welsh green anthracite, which pays
no duty, is so improved in quality
that many Massachusetts, and Con-
netlcut manufacturers will use it,
as it will then be cheaper to them
than Georges Greek, Elk Garden
or other bituminous Goals.
tits the opinion Of the best posted
men in the coal trade in New York,