The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-04-24
FROM THE CAPITOL.
Our Corrc0Sond ent Talks in Sage
Name of Things in General
About Washington.
Ispecial to the Citizen. l
WASHINGTON, April 2Oth, l89

Speaker Reed is getting suspicious of
the task of making him the Republic
ban candidate for President. One of
the men under suspicion is Quay. Reed
is said to believe that in addition to
dickering with other candidates for the
nomination, Quay has got the idea in
his head that if Mckinley and Reed
can both be thrown down he can him
self get the nomination Gee Whiz!
wouldn't Quay's nomination be ver-
liable windfall for the Democratic
parts?) Others have known that
Quay's head had become swelled with
the Presidential idea some time ago,
and have believed that if he could at
any time during the st. Louis CouveD
ton get the nomination for himself he
would have no hesitation in gobbliug
it up regardless of his obligations TO
Mr.. Reed or to anybody else. And
there isn't the slightest doubt that the
practical politicians of the Platt-Clark-
son stripe would suoner see Quay nom
mated than anyone yet named. He
belongs to their class and they would
know just how to del with him.
Surely no man has a better right to he
suspicious of these men than Mr.. Reed,
whom they are pretending to be sup
porting in his fight for that nominal
ton. They may vote for Mr.. Reed and
they may get him nominated, but If
they do, it will be because they fiud
that they cannot do better for them
selves by supporting somebody else.
The Democratic steering" commit
tee has served notice upon Republican
Senators that while not desiring to
raise any obstacles to early adjourn
inent, if the Republicans are willing
to return to the people with a record of
having done nothing except to pass
the Appropriation bills they insist
upon being consulted upon all the
measures to be taken up during the re-
maiuder of the session and will not
grant unanimous consent to take up
anything that has not been previously
agreed upon.
The movement started by Senator
Hawley, of Conn, to take the printing
of the postage stamps away from the
Bureau of Printing and Engraving at
Washington, and give it to the lowest
private bidder is making rapid pro-
gress and if the friends of real economy
in public expenditures do not watch
their P's and Q's the schemers will get
it through. 1t is difficult to under
stand how any man can have the
cheek 10 stand up and advocate this
step backward in the face of the adj
vantages the government has gained
by taking charge of this work. The
stamps are better printed there are
more safeguards around their distribu-
ton, and considerably more than $780,
COG is saved.
The Republican majority of the
House Committee on Ways and Means
has decided not to report any reciproc-
Ity bill during this Congress, giving as
the reason the uncertainty of what ac-
ton the Senate would take upon such
a bill and the presence of the Demo-
cratic President. The real reason is
that the Republicans do not care to de-
fine the exact party policy on this sub
ject as bill would have to do, belle W
ing that it will make more votes by
leaving the question open so that any
sort of promise that may be demanded
may be made.
There was a time when a Senator
who was accused of having lied by an
other Senator, as Gear, of Iowa, was,
by Allen, / Nebraska, would not hav
stood up and quietly said that he too
no exception to the language, as Nj
Gear did, but it seems to have gone bND
Still there are Senators who belieM
that calling a man liar is equivalent
to striking him and who are preparGN
to live up to that belief at all timeX
The occasion of the Alleu-Gear episodW
was the Pacific Railroads Bill, whiG
Mr.. Gear, as Chairman of the Pacif ]
Railroads Committee reported to III
Senate, and it was directly caused K
Mr.. Gear having stated that Weave
the Populist candidate for President
road property, the telegraph, the tel .
phone. and the issuance of paper ka
pay for them. This railroad bill mad
be the cause of very bitter fight
the Senate-CZar Reed can put a
through the House without any troub.t
because of the belief of some Senator :,
that it is entirely too favorable to Hun
ingtOn.
The Dupont case is noninally befor;o
the Senate, but nobody will be greatly
surprised if it is never voted upon. Thsd
Republicans are now certain that they
cannot seat him unless some Senators
who have announced their determine.
ton TO vote against him can be changed
by pressure, circumstances or time, and
for that reason it is being allowed to
drag along.
Great pressure is being brought to
bear upon Senator German to get him
to change his mind about not going to
the Chicago Convention, but so far he
sticks to what he said first-that he
will not go.