The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-12-13
Washington Letter.


WASHINGTON, December 9.-The boldest
political combine ever formed in this country
is that dominated by Senator Quay, Boss Platt
and Speaker Reed 1t is out for everything in
sight. Its first victory was the election of the
House officers, but it wasn't satisfied to merely
name the men who filled the named: offices of
the House; it also insists upon naming every
subordinate employed by them Every day
men who were never before seen by the new
Clerk, Doorkeeper and Sergeant-at-Arms of
the House present themselves as their suhord-
mates and are sworn i'll, after exhibiting the o.
X. of the combine. That combine will also
control the makeup of the House Committees,
and is working hard to get its grip on the SEN
ate committees, but that is more difficult as
many influential Republican Senators are bit
terly opposed to the mbine. 1t also has an
other difficult job on hand in its efforts to con-
troll the Republican National Committee, which
meets here tomorrow to name the time and
place for holding the Republican National
Convention. Although Mckinley and Reed
are in deal to prevent HarriSon's nomination.
that does not prevent Mckinley's friends
coming here in force to fight the combines at
tempt to control the National Committee OF
course the ultimate object of the Quay-Platt-
Reed combine is the nomination of Reed for
President.
Much nonsense, some of it utterly idiotic, has
been written because President Cleveland was
absent from Washington when Lord Sails
bury's answer to Secretary Onley's note of last
July, asking whether England intended to ar
bitrate its boundry dispute with Venezuela, and
notifying England that this country would not
tolerate the fOrcible seizure of territory claim
ed by Venezuela, arrived. Stripped of all ver-
biage here are the facts President Cleveland
knew the nature of the answer; ne also knew
that it was useless to send a special message to
Congress with that answer until the House had
its committees, therefore he concluded to spend
the time duck hunting instead of waiting in
Washington. If anybody is blamed it ought to
be Speaker Re, d for not announcing the House
committees.
Although every effort is being made to keep
it quiet. it is well-known in Washington that
there is bitter fight raging between the two
factions which go to make the forty-two Re
publican members of the Senate. Nominally
these factions are known as the old and the
new Senators and the apparent object of the
fight is to obtain proper recognition for the new
Senators, but in reality it is Il fight between the
East and West, the gold and silver Republicans.
Up to date the silver men seem to be Il little
ahead but that assumption is based upon the
sincerity of Senator Chandler, of New Hamp-
shire, who holds the balance of power in the
caucus committee which is making up list to
fill the vacancies on Senate Committees and
who has been loud in professions of friendship
for silver. Threats are being made of q revolt
on the part of the silver Senators if they do not
get what they think they are entitled TO at the
hands of that committee. Should this revolt
actually take place, Senator Teller would be
the Western candidate for President pro TEN, of
the Senate. The Democratic Senators have
agreed to allow the Republicans to organize
the Senate if they can agree among themselves
to sufficient extent to do so.
Judge Concoran, of Boston, who is Chairman
of the Democratic State Committee of Massa-
chusetts, has been spending several days in
Washington. He doesn't regard the Presiden-
tial fight as already won, by any means. He
said The election of go is long way off,
and nothing can be determined until the candi-
dates are named and the issues of the campaign
develope. 1t will not be difficult for the Dem
ocratic party to find a strong candidate. We
New Englanders do not take the third term
talk seriously, but we do believe that the East
can and will present some very strong names
at the National Convention. To my mind
Whitney is strong man, and Olney is another.
| think that they are the leading men in the
East, but it is difficult at this time to say which
is the best to make the race"
A movement is on foot to hold joint caucus
of Democratic Senators and Representatives
for the purpose of trying to harmonic existing
differences in Democratic ranks, and to agree
House and Senate during the present session of
Congress. Representative Stallngs. of Ala
bama, who is one of the leaders of this move
ment. says: "There is really only one question
regarding which the Democrats are badly di-
vided. That is the money question, and if we
can reach some satisfactory agreement by
which it may be eliminated from our discus
sions for the present, there is no reason why
should not get together and present a solid
front to the Republicans | am in favor of
free coinage, but do not believe that the dis
cusson of that one question can advance the
cause of silver now, while its disorganZing eff
feet is extremely hurtful to the party and to
the South. | would be in favor if u conference
of the whole party in Congress can be arranged,
of having committee appointed to confer
with the President and Secretary Carlisle re-
garding the steps necessary to secure IL degree
of harmony and establish policy upon which
we can all unite"