The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-04-24
aShington Letter.
From our regular Correspondents

WASHINGTON, D. C. Apr, "a, 1896.
Mr.. Cleveland has paid sufficient
Difference 20 those Cuban resolutions
to ask Spain 70 accept the mediation
of the U. S. in negotiating with the
Cuban insurgents for peace; but, &C
cording to current gossip, he doesn't
wish Spain to agree and doesn't ex-
pect it. According to stories whisp-
cred in inside circles, the fine hand of
Ex-Secretary Billy Whitney is playing
the game for Mr.. Cleveland, having
succeeded in persuading him that the
onlv salvation of the democratic party
lies in working up feeling towards a
war with Spain. The offer to mediate is
made for the purpose of convincing the
world that the administration favors
a peaceable settlement and will only
resort to other methods when Spain
refuses to entertain mediation, and
to gain time. War is not wanted now;
it might be all over before the meeting
of the democratic national convention
not to mention the November cleo
ton. 1t is deep game, to take add
vantage of the general sympathy of
this country for Cuba to boost up the
tottering democratic party, and to go
into it it was necessary for Mr.. Cleve-
land to go against his real wishes, as
he had been from the first apparently
on the side of Spain.
Unless something unexpected turns
up to prevent Congress is likely to
break the long session record in the
date of adjournment. So far as the
House is concerned, it would be easy
enough to adjourn by the first of May,
as there remain only two appropria-
ton bills-fortifcations. and general
defciencies-to be disposed of, and the
first of those will be passed this week.
Unless the democratic senators be-
come obstruc tionists just to delay adj
journment, it is regarded as probable
that adjournment will occur some
where in the neighborhood of May 15
Senator Cullom denies very emphat-
ically that he has written or intends
to write letter withdrawing his name
as candidate for the Presidential
nomination, and Senator Quay's
friends make the same denials in his
behalf.
Secretary Morton is in hot water
again, and unless the men who are
making the charge against him are
out o. their reckoning he may get
badly scalded before he gets out of it.
He and his assistants in the Agricul-
tural department are charged with
having deliberately und Intentionally
misrepresented facts to Senator Proc
tor and Representative Wadsworth,
who acted with Secretary Morton as
committee to award the contest for
seeds for free distribution, in order to
get the bid of Chicago firm, which
was $4,000 below that of the firm
which secured the contract, thrown
out. They charge that Secretary Nor
I ton represented that the seed submit
ted as samples by the Chicago firm
were found poor, when as matter of
fact the official records of the tests
made by the department experts
sho vn them to be as good in every
respect as those sent by the firm which
secured the contract; that Secretary
Morton told his Congressional associ-
ates on the committee of Award that
the Chicago firm declined to assume
responsibility by printing their name
upon the packages of seeds they pro-
posed furnishing when that firm had
stated both orally and in writing that
1T would cut its bid $4,000 if allowed
to print its name and address on every
package. They charge further that
Assistant Secretary Dabney worked
against them because they refused te
use certain patent bag filling ma
chine advocated by him. It is very
serious business if these charges car
be substantiated, and the men who
make them say they can be.
Democrats are trying to persuade
Senator Hill to once more become the
democratic candidate for Governor O
New York, but Mr.. Hill has such 3
vivid recollection of the drubbing adj
mlnlstered to him by Gov. Morton
that he isn't inclined to regard the
matter at all favorably.
The House republicans held a can
Gus to exchange opinion on the tw,
immigration bills now pending. on
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