The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-04-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. April Is, 1895.

Inc pressure on the admlhlstfa-
ton to do something to head off the
silver stampede which seems to have
sliced the Democratic party, is
daily growing stronger. Mr.. Cleve-
land is perfectly wiling to do any
thing to prevent the capture of the
Democratic party by the silver men
but up to this time he has been
unable to decide what he ought to
do. At first he was disposed to
try to stop the movement by going
to Chicago and making an anti
silver speech, which should rally
the Cleveland Democrats around
the single gold standard, and the
arrangements were made to have
him to do so by a committee of
alleged non-partisan business men
of Chicago, but later he became
doubtful as to that plan, and has
given considerable consideration to
project suggested by a member OF
the Cabinet, to be made public by
those who received them and to be
used as weapons against the silver
phalanx of the Democratic party.
Other plans have also been consid-
cred, but nothing has yet been
definitely settled upon.
Meanwhile, Senator Roach, of
North Dakota, who is silver DEM
.ocrat, fires this broadside right
under Mr.. Cleveland's nose, so to
speak: II am glad to see the Hi
nois State central committee take
the lniative in sounding the Dem
ocracy of that State on the silver
question. We have got to meet the
issue of silver in the next national
convention, and we might as we'll
hear from the various States now
as not. The Illinois scheme is a
good one, and | hope to see other
States fall into line and adopt the
same plan" That is treason
against Mr.. Cleveland on the part
of Mr.. Roach, for he must have
known when he made these remarks
that the administration was bitterly
opposed to the Illinois scheme, and
that Hon. William r. Morrison,
("Horizontal BilI'') is now in that
State, at the request of Mr.. CleYe-
land, trying to lay plans to prevent
the convention declaring for free
coinage.
Secretary Hoke Smith likes
Washington SO we'll that he wants
to step from the Cabinet to the U.
S. Senate on March 4, 1897, and he
is now engaged in pulling the wires
which he thinks will accomplish
that purpose. One of the principal
drawbacks to the accomplishment
of Secretary Smiths ambition is
that Senator Gordon has shown no
willingness to retire. On the con-
trary, he is credited with desiring
to succeed himself, if the Democrats
can retain control of the Georgia
legislature. An attempt was made
to make a deal for the election of
Gordon to be governor and Smith
to the Senate, but Gordon refused
to enter it. Ex-Speaker Crisp is
also willing to 90 to the Senate.
Secretary Morton's serious an
nouncement of his intention to use
the machinery of the Department
of Agriculture to make an investi-
cation in order TO ascertain if there
IS a beef trust, which is responsible
for the recent sudden and continued
rise in the price of beef, is enough
to bring smile to the face of the
most solemn COW. If Mr.. Morton
was honest in making that an
nouncement his ignorance is greatly
to be deplored, as it is a we'll known
fact to thousands that there is a
beef trust composed of the big meat
packers, which has for some time
been slowly but surely forcing the
local butchers in all towns of con-
siderable size out of business, in
order that the trust could dictate
prices without fear of local opposi-
ton. That time has apparently
come, and the trust is putting on
the screws. There is an anti trust