The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-04-17
Washington Letter.

Washington. d. c., April 10 tn, 1896.
A more uneasy crowd than the anti
Mckinley Rspublicansiu congress would
be difficult to find. They know that
Plat and Quay are hatchin9 up some
sort of scheme down in II ida, and
they fear that the ,ci, = about
Quay having made deal ~,i Mckln-
lev are true, and ye, the, not GER
tain enough to try TO act + = themselves
These men don't care a STR. al at the
personality of the candida - IL they
want is to be with the winn'-'. l. WAS
because they thought the qua flatt-
Reed combine was strong enough TO de-
feat Mckinley and dictate the nomIna-
ton that they joined it. Now they are
in a quaudary. They are afraid t" try
to make deals with Mckinley for them
selves until they know what Quay aud
Plstt are up to, and If 1t snail turn out
that Quay and Platt have gone over to
Mckinley they know that 1t will be too
late for them to get any concessIoas Tor
themselves as with the support of + uay and
Platt McKinley's nomination would be
assured and they would be left out In
the cold for not having guessed right.
All of which is nuts for the Democrats
President Cleveland must find the nu-
merouS attempts that are daily made by
newspaper men anxious to earn their
salaries to tell what he is going to do about
those Cuban resolutions, sent to him
this week, a source of constant amuse-
ment, and so numerous are the stories
concocted that it will be almost impossi-
BILE for the president to do anything that
will miss all the theories which have
been put forth. Somebody will doubt
less be able to say 81 told you so" but
It will not be because they had advance
information. All that is known is that
the president is considering to determine
whether there is any thing IN the situa-
ton to call for any action on his part.
The opinion of one of Pennsylvania S
practical steel makers, who is at present
in Washington, on McKinleyism is en-
titled to weight. This gentleman, Mr..
James Andrews, of Allegheny, said:
The necessity of high protective tar
iff seems to have gone by, for in many
lines we have reached a point of cheap
uess in production that approximates
the cost of production in any of the
European countries. Take steel, for in
stance. / remember when, as an ap-
prentice, l was employed in the first
plant that smelted steel west of the ALI
eghenies and that it sold for A cents a
pound. Now ii is made for one cent a
pound, owing to the marvellous improve
ments in machinery and better trans
portation facilities. We have much the
advantage ef England, for ores lie near
the surface and can be mined at tri-
fling expense, whereas they have to go
to great depths for their ores and fuel.
| We can bring the Lake Superior ores &c
| the smelters of Pennsylvania in vasi
| quantities, and water transportation is
| very low. Such natural advantages are
not enjoyed by any competitor, anC
| hence in the making of steel we stanC
on an equal footing with all the world.
According to Senator Smith, OF \. ] e.
the Democrats of that state have nC
candidate to urge before the Chicag,
convention, and are perfectly willing Il
support the man chosen by the corven
ton. Mr.. Smith thinks the Democrat
can carry the state this year IF no mis-
take is made In the platform adopted a
Chicago, no matter who heads the pes
idential ticket.
The man who thinks that Senator Cor
man does not still WELD powerful in
fiuence in the senate is not a close oh
server. Only this week Mr.. Gorma
got up and made few remarks agains
the idea of abolishiug postmasters a
: county postoffices which are in the VI
cinity of large cities and placing tn
offices under clerks from the city office:
Note the result. The senate added a
amendment to the postotfice appropria
ton bill limiting the postmasters VIII
may be abolished to those who presid
U over postoffices which are within fiy
] miles of the corporate limits of cities
: AS rule Democrats in congress d
!, not seriously regard the stories concerr
ing Senator Tillman's candidacy for tn
Democratic presidential nominatio
y which his departure to make son
q speeches in the west have given circul
r ton, but personal friends of the gentl
men say that he really intends to be
. candidate if the silver men control Il
y Chicago convention. Well, anyboC
Il can be a candidate, but getting vot
If enough to nominate is quite anoth
8 thing. Many Democrats in congre
think that Senator Tillman's declaratiC
y of his intention to bolt the Chicago co
l. vention if it does not adopt a platfor
% in accordance with his views is of itse
a enough to bar him from receiving al
honors at the hands of that conventio
'' M