Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1895-11-23
nusTLINd FOR POSITIONS.
Reed Will be Speaker-A Nut for
Free-Trade Democrats to Crack.
From, onr reo,, lar corresnondentl

-
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Nov. I8.-It seems
odd that Washington should be SO
quiet with the date for the assembling
Of Congress only two weeks off, but it
isn't. In the years when new Con-
gress assemblies Washington is usual
ly in turmoil for several weeks be-
fore Congress meets, owing to the
campaign for the nomination of Speak
er of the House. This year there is
no speakership campaign. 1t was
settled when the votes cast at the
Congressional election, last Novem-
Der. were counted that Hon. Thomas
B. Reed. of Maine, should again be
Speaker of the House. There remains
only the minor Offices of the House to
be determined upon, and, although
the friends of the several gentlemen
who are candidates for each of those
Offices are greatly interested, there is
no national interest felt in the good
natured contest they are waging. So
it is easy to understand why SO few
members of the House are in town
and why everything is SO quiet.
Major Mcdowell, the Pennsylvania
candidate for the House clerkship,
and Mr.. Glenu, the New York candi-
date for doorkeeper have opened head
quarters in the same hotel and they
are understood to be working togeth-
er. Ex-Representative Wade, ofMis-
souri,, may be candidate either for
doorkeeper or for postmaster; Ohio
is said to have candidate, not yet
named, for postmaster, and Captain
Sherwood, of Michigan, ex-Postmas-
ter Of the House and of Washington,
is also candidate for the same place.
Ex-Representative Henderson, Of Hi
nois, is candidate for the clerkship of
the House, and he is said to have de-
clined entering a combination as a
candidate for Sergeant-at-Arms, a
position for which Mr. Russell. the
present Speakerof the Missouri House
Representatives lisa candidate. There
are half dozen candidates for Chap
lain of the House, but the friends of
Rev. Fl. D. Fisher, of Kansas, say he
is certain to get it. At this stage of
the campaign all the friends of all the
candidates are playing their confidence
to make votes, but until more men,
bers get to Washington there is
nothing to base prediction Of the
probable winners on, as most of the
members will not commit themselves
until they get here and look over the
ground.
Senator Baker, of Kansas, wishing
to fainiliarize himself with Washing
ton life and surroundings before en-
tering upon his senatorial career, has
dropped in couple of weeks ahead Of
time. Although not disposed to push
them forward, Senator Baker has
opinions of his own, and, when ask
ed, does not hesitate to express them.
When asked what he thought the. Re-
publicans ought to do at the coming
session of Congress he said 1.-The
most important question will be to
provide the government the money it
needs to pay its expenses. / see only
two ways in which it can be done.
One is to increase the duty on a num-
Der of articles which, like wool, for
instance, are now admitted free, OF
upon which the duty was radically
lowered by the Democratic tariff law.
l think we should give the President
an opportunity to act upon a bill Of
this sort, although l do not believe
he will sign anything we send him.
That method of raising revenue fail
ing the next thing to do would be to
repeal the law under which he claims
authority to issue bonds independent
of Congress, and to authorize the is
sue of bonds in denominations of $50
and 500, which ought to be made
legal tender and to draw about two
per cent interest. These bonds would
be taken up by the people with great
rapidity and held, but their legal-ten-
der quality would make them avail
able for the payment of debts. II
might be claimed that this would be
an imitation of the currency, but GER
tainly no harm would result even il
some of the bonds passed as money.
Here is nut for the free-trade Dem
ocrats to crack. Senator German fur
nished it, when in the course CT an
explanation of why the Republicans
carried Maryland, he said: THE fact
is that the protection sentiment il
the State has largely increased. In
my own county, for example, we
have number of wooden mills. I'm,
til very recently they have been run
upon rough class OF goods. In the
last two or three years, however. they
haye undertaken a higher grade Of
work, and in order to do it they have
been obliged to import large nsftnbel
of skilled laborers from Massachusetts:
and other New England States. Mos,
of these men are Republicans. A like
condition exists in other counties
There has been a change, too, among
Democrats who are naturally inclined
towards protection, and who believ,
that Republican supremacy viii
more certainly insure permanent
/ protective policy. There is no ques
ton that the protection sentirnen
among all classes is now very strong
and many who believe in the doctrin,
have been disguised by the business
depression of the last two years
Naturally they turn to the party which