The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-11-27
FROM THE CAPITOL.
Our Corresponds t Talks in Sage
Manner of Things in General
About Washington.
communicated
WASHINGTON, Nov. %,


The first round between the Nc
Kinley and anti-McKinley Republican
has been fought, and the Mckinley
ties have won, but the victory isn't
substantial enough to crow over AS
quick as it was known that the Repub-
licans had won the National election
such men as Senator Sherman and
Speaker Reed began to announce the
necessity for pushing the Dingley bill
or some similar revenue measure
through the Senate at the short ses-
sion, if it could possibly be done. That
caused lining up of the Republicans
for and against the Dingley bill and
the contst was getting lively when the
word was passed that Mckinley would
not have the Dibgley bill put through.
That ended the round. The Dingley
bill is dead, and the anti-McKinIey
Republicans are temporarily licked.
but they will have their innings later
on and will do their part towards show
ing the country how badly the
y
the tariff question, aud the financial
division will not be overlooked either
The Fifty-fifth Congress promises to be
one of the liveliest seen for years, and,
although, the Democrats therein will
not be numerous enough to accom-
plish much by voting as party,
there is no guessing what they may
do by holding the balance of power be-
tween the two factions of the Republi-
can party in the Senate.
There is no more amusing feature of
the situation than the talk of the Pop
ulists about the Democratic party hav-
ing to come to them in the next Nat
ional Campaign. 1t would be a case
of the tail wagging the dog sure
enough, for the party which cast more
than five-siX hs of the votes received
by Bryan, being absorbed by the party
which cast less than one-siXth of the
votes.
There are some things in which this
country might take a few profitable
lessons from older nations, and one of
them is in the wording of official re-
ports which are intended to be made
public. A ease in point is the annual
report of the Board of Ordnance and
Fertilization. This board is compos-
ed of prominent army officers, 1nclud-
ing General Miles, and has Elk Con
gresham Cultivate for civilian
member. In its anxiety to impress
upon Congress the necessity for large
appropriations for coast defences, the
board made the mistake of using the
following language: "Should conflict
arise we are liable to be embroiled
with some power whose navy, in the
II nf
coast, might destroy, or exact enor-
nous ransOmS from our chief cities. !"
That sort of stuff may do very we'll in
the sensational newspaper offices, but
it is decidedly out of place in an official
document. It is the publication of
that style of matter i'm official dOcu-
ments, for this is not the first time it
has been done, that has made every
country owning few modern warships
cocky in its dealings with the United
States, because of the belief that fear of
the destructian of our sea coast cities
will make US stand almost anything
from a country with a navy Chilli
had that idea several years ago and
Spain has it now. While there is no
doubt that these gentlemen meant
well in using such language, such re-
port would never have been made pub
lie by any European power, and 1T
should not have been published here.
Ex-senator Walsh, of Georgia, now
visiting Washington, retains the edi'
torial faculty of stating the situation
in a nutshell. He said: at is to be
sincerely hoped that prosperity will
come to the country through the in
coming administration. Every pa
triot hopes that. The Republicans will
have the responsibility, and If their
methods and policies are for the general
good, to them will belong the credit.
But if they fail to carry out the prom
Uses they have made, that If entrusted
with power, great benefit would accrue
to the country, then the Democracy
Will meet them at Philllppi. Any
man who reckons that the Democratic
party is dead is making serious mis-
take. If I am not very much mis-
taken it will be very much alive III
1900"
Those who always Jump to conclu.
sions, have taken it for granted that
Mckinley would send to the Senate
for ratification the treaty negotiated
during the last days of the Harrison
administration, providing for the an
nexation of Hawaii. which was with
drawn by President Cleveland. He will
do nothing of the sort. He is opposed
to the wording of that treaty and will
not send it to the Senate at all. Nc
Kinley, while not opposed to the an
nexation, will take no steps toward
that end until fully assured that the
people of Hawaii desire annexation and
shall have formally asked for it. Then
he will agree to the negotiations of q
new treaty.
Chief Ford, of the Treasury Bureau
of Statistics, agrees with Senator Cor
man both in the belief that the Ding
| lev tariff bill would do the treasury nc
gaod and the best way out of the pres
ent difficulties would be to put duty
on coffee and tea. He said: eff Con
gress desires to pass a purely revenue
| bill at this session it will be easy
enough to get up one that would stoI
the deficit. A tax of 40 per cent. OIL
coffee and tea and dollar barre
additional on beer would do it to {
nicely, by adding about $50, 600, 900 I
year TO our revenue"