The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-09-14
Washington Letter.
From Our Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, September 10-Secretary Car
Isle has left no doubt as to where he and Presi-
dent Cleveland stand on the sugar question.
He told Representative Meyer, of louisiana
that the administration would oppose any at
tempt to put sugar on the free list. but would
aid in the passage of the substitute proposed
by the Senate Finance Committee, striking out
the diferental duty of one-eighth of q cent Il
pound on refined sugar, leaving all sugar duti-
able at fiat rate of =: 40 per cent ad valorem;
opinion that he has no authority to pay out a
dollar for bounty on sugar, but he told Mr..
Meyer that he and President Cleveland were
both in favor of legislation providing not only
for the payment of the bounty upon all sugar
made previous to the taking effect of the new
tire crop of the difference between the bounty
and the duty on foreign sugar. Had this infor-
nation been i'll the possession of the Louisiana
sugar planters 1t is probable that they might
have adoped a different sort of resolution at
their meeting last week. He also told Mr.
Meyer that his letter to Senator Harris, show
ing the necessity for the revenue that the sugar
duty will bring in was submitted to President
Cleveland and was approved by him before it
was sent. 1t was so stated in this correspon-
dence at the time, although the KnOw-it-allS
asserted that the letter was sent without Mr.
Ceveland's knowledge and against his wishes.
The true inwardness of the alleged flop of
Senator Jones, of Nevada, from the Republi-
cans to the POpuliStS in now known. 1t was
merely Republican trick. Jones is no more
Il PoDulist than he ever was and his pretended
flop is but the first move in u game which was
to have been secret and which has for its final
object the nomination and election to the
Presidency of Senator Cameron, of PennSylva-
mia. Jones is the father of the Cameron boom
and when he found that the suggestion was
very coldly received by the silver men of the
Northwest, on account of Cameron's we'll
known connection with railroad and other
corporations, Notwithstanding the free coinage
of silver, which was to be the corner stone of
his canvass, he was disappointed. Then it was
that Jones evolved the scheme of joining the
Populists and turning their organization into a
purely silver party, eliminating every thing
else from their platform, and having them en-
dorSe the Cameron boom, which he calculated
would induce the Republican convention to
nominate Cameron on Il free silver platform.
The scheme would not have had one chance out
of a possible one hundred even if it had been
kept secret as intended, but now that it has
been exposed it simply has no chance at all.
Men of Cameron's calibre have been elected
President, but no man of his associations ever
has been or ever will be, although, of course,
hemay buy nomination if he will pay the price.
This isn't a good administration for sine
cures. Secretary Hoke Smiths axe has Just
fallen upon another. Like great many other
people Smith was puzzled when he first heard
Of the editor of the U. S. Geological Survey. A
little investigation convinced him that the
said editor was drawing 81, 600 year without
rendering an equivalent to Uncle Sam, and
straight away an order was issued abolishing
the office, which, by the way, was created for
the man now turned out, Mr.. w. A. Crotfut, II
very pleasant newspaper man with Il fad for
meSmeriSm, which he calls hypnotism. Mr.
Croffut's hypnotism worked all right on Re-
publican Secretary, but it was n dismal failure
when applied to hardshell Democrat like
Hoke Smith.
Ex-Congressman Breckenridge, of Arkansas,
now minister to Russia, is still in Washington,
and still very much interested in politics. He
said in the course of a general conversation on
Southern politics My own State has Just
given an exceptionally heavy Democratic ma
jority, which is fair indication of what the
south may be expected to do in November |
wish, however, that the majority had been a
little lighter and the platform adopted at the
State convention little better. Too much was
conceded the Populists on the financial ques-
ton. Better to have had Il sound monetary
plank than to have gained a few thousand
superfuous votes. With the revival of bust
ness prosperity that. is now already begun,
there cannot be much fear of continued Dem
ocratic ascendancy. ] feel certain that we
shall control the next House. OF the threat
ened secession of the sugar planters from the
Democratic party. Mr.. breckenridge said: ut
is natural for the Louisiana sugar growers to
stand by their chief product; they have always
done so. But l do nbt see what they have TO
gain by bolting their party affiliations, 1t will
do them more hurt than it will the ,DeEo4eaay
For every vote lost by such a deseutisn six
would be gained. On longer reflection it is
doubtful if they will go, oyer to the political
party which they have battled against all their
lives. G. a. s.