The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-02-21
Washington Letter.


From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, February 1.-THE Reed tariff
bill is apparently as dead as Il last years bird
nest, and it was killed 10y Republican Senators
at that The scheme of the high tarlH Rcpuh-
icun Senators was to take up the Tree coinage
substitute for the tariff bill, which was report
ed to the Senate from the Finance Committee.
vote that substitute down with the and oil anti
snver Democrats. and then with tue nld oil
PUpulIsts TO pass the tariff bill without amend
mrnt. But il struck Snag III the snap oil II
Republican revolt us soon as the very iirst move
10 carry it out was mnd", ana thc feEnll was
led by the Chairman OF the htpubllcih Nduol'il
Committee Carter, of Montana, whu- with
three other silver Republican senators, voted
against taking up the tarIn pll. The nigh
tariff Republicans are now engaged iii trying
To beg on bulldoze the revolving silver Repub-
liz ans into coming back into line ana carrying
out the decree of the Republican caucus by
voting to pass the Reed tariff bill without
amendment, but there are no indications OF
their succeeding.
The vote in the House, 2l0 to 80, against the
free coinage substitute for the House bond bill
makes il certain that whether the Senate passes
the free coinage substitute or not, free coinage
is ms dead for this session the Reed tariff bill,
and that brings forward the question, what Is
this Congress going to do, anyway! IL looks
now as though the Republicans would spent
the time not devoted to passing the regular ap-
preparation bills i'll making moves Tor OF
against the various Presidential candidates.
and that the final result oil the session would
be the Appropriation bills
1t may be that Representative Howard, ut
Alabama, the author of the dirticst book ever
sold in Washington, was really Ill Wntn ne was
taken out of the House the other day, and not
drunk aS he was reported TO be, but ms rcputa-
ton was already SO bad that 1t really makes
little difference. He has never been associated
ny any of his colleagues except the PopulistS.
Representative Talbcrt, of South Carolina,
who made little break several weeks ago
on the secession question, turned the tables
very nicely on Representative Hardy, of lndi-
ana, who tried to gOad him into saying some
thing more about secession by abusing South
Carolina. After Mr.. Hardy had used up ms
stock of epithetS. covering South CarOlinlans
from John G. Calhoun to the present Congress
Sional delegation, Mr.. Taibert clertualiy
Suuelched him by remaking that ne was glad
that Canada had been heard from. Hardy
was born i'll Canady, and did not serve i'll the
Union Army. Later Mr.. Talbcrt took occa-
sion to say that he had noticed that those who
had taken no part in the war were loudeSt IN
| their proclamation of patriotism and their de-
nunciatious OF thust. who had fought against
the Union and amid the laughter OF the House
| he quoted the expression that those who are
| nvincible i'll time OF pc;tccare generally lnNis-
\ bic III time of war.
| Secretary Herbert gave the House Committee
ON Naval affairs the benefit Of the knowledge
| he has acquired during his long service ON that
| committee and since ne became Secretary OF
the Navy, ut the last meeting OF the committee
| He stated without qualification thatthe United
| States can today beat the world in the building
of warShips SO far efficiency goes, although
| ii has not quite distanccd all countries IN the
| race to lower the price of construction, but lie
| believes it will in the near future Already
| we are building warships cheaper than either
| France or Germany has been able to do, and
| almost as cheap rs Great Britain does Mr..
! Herbert told the committee that in addition to
| the specific recommendations in his annual re
| port, he was in favor of any and all prupUI
| methods of strengthening our Navy.
| While it is generally recognized that Senator
| Quay's candidacy for the Republican PreSi-
| dental nomination was announced solely for
trading purposes, some of the friends of the
| other candidates are afraid of him. They
| know his ability political schemer, and
! they are afraid that he may he anle 10 sneak
| differentiation for himself A kepub lcan W ho
| has before given me correct information con-
corning moves made by Quay says OF his latest
| Quay is trying to bring Reed to terms. He is
for Reed aud has so declared himself TO Reed
but for once he found out that he committed
| himself too soon, for when he wished Reed t.
| give him certain promises the Maine man utii
| lied his Yankee cunning by adroitly dodginE
Then it was that Quay determined to become :
| candidate himself. With Pennsylvania Vot,
| behind him he will compel Reed 10 voluntarily
| make him all and more promises than would
| have at first satisfied him. or he will make i
| dicker with some other candidate, and Tom
| Patt is in the same boat with Quay" c. y. 5