Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1896-04-04
WASHINGTONLETTER
SPEAKER REEDS RE-
VOLT.
Mckinley and feed in the
Race.
PRESIDENTIAL POSSIBILITIES
SEC. HOKE SMITH I'm IT"
(From Our Regular Correspondent.

(From Our Regular Correspondent
WAsHINGToN, D. c., Mar 30, 1895.
Speaker Reed can certainly afford to
smile at the democratic stories of that
revolt of the House against him.
The aforesaid revolt" consisted of
the House voting to devote a day to
the consideration of private bills on
the calendar, instead of following the
advice of Chairman Cannon. of the
Appropriation committee, and going
ahead with the sundry civil appropria-
tion bill Speaker Reed had no more
TO do with the matter than the reader
OF this paragraph, and the only reason
Tor the vote was that many of the
members realizing, especially since
the Offering of Senator Platt's resolu-
ton for adjournment on May End, that
the session is rapidly drawing to a
close, were anxious to try TO get action
upon private bills in which they are
interested. That is all there is to it.
THE CUBAN QUESTION
The Cuban business will be finished.
so far as Congress is concerned, as
soon as the House accepts the confer
ence report in favor of the House
adopting the Senate resolution instead
of its own. The change was made De-
cause it became clear that there was
an intention on the part of few Sena-
tors TO prevent a vote being taken on
the original conference report, which
was in favor of the House resolutions
being adopted as a substitute for those
of the Senate. There will probably be
some talk on the subject in the House,
but no protracted debate is expected,
or will be allowed, before the confer
ence report is agreed to. If those who
are assuming the right to speak for
Mr.. Cleveland know what they are
talking about, the resolution will not
be of any material benefit TO the Gu
bans
EARLY ADJOURNMENT.
The sentiment of the republicans in
Congress is practically unanimous in IA
vor of passing the appropriation bills
and adjourning as soon as possible, it
having been fully demonstrated that
no other important legislation can be
gotten through at this session.
is 1T A SCANDAL?
Secretary Hoke Smith may find
when he returns from his present
Georgia crusade against the free silver
senatorial candidacy of ex-SDeaker
Crisp that he has got mixed up in an
ugly scandal. Just before he left
Sergeant Perry and Captain Watson
of the Pension Bureau watch, and
their friends intimate that the reduc-
tion is a punishment for not doing
what some of Secretary Smiths friends
wanted done, rather than for any ne
glect of duty. 1t is reported that Sen
ators Voorhees, and Turpie, of Indiana.
who although they are democrats are
not in love with Secretary Smith and
his methods, particularly those relat-
ing to Pension Office matters, will take
up the cases of the reduced men and
get them Justice if they have to have
the whole business investi gated by a
Congressional committee.
THE NIcAURAGUAN CANAL.
Ex-senator Warner Miller, of New
York, told the House commerce COM
mittee that the Nicaraguan canal COM
pany, Of which he is President had
never asked Congress for aid and was
not now asking for aid. he said that
all the company asked from Congress
was a definite answer as to the posi-
ton this government intended to oc-
cupy in the matter, and if the govern
ment didn't want to control the canal
and would say so, the company could
get private capital to carry out its plan
but that it could do nothing while the
attitude of this government was IN
certain.
WILL HE RETIRE?
Congressman were reminded of the
adage go away from home to hear the
news" when telegram from Mass. was
published in local paper saying that
a democratic member of the House,
now in that state, was authority for
the statement that Mr.. cleveland had
written letter announcing his desire
to retire to private life and positively
stating that he would not allow his
name to go before the Chicago cOnven-
tiOn as a candidate. If he had stopped
right there his story might have had
some believers. But he killed every
thing by adding that it had been
Mr.. CleVeland's intention to publish
that letter some time ago, but he had
been persuaded by members of the
democratic national committee to hold
it while longer. Now it is well
known to every man and woman and
even the children who have reached
the age of discretion, that Mr.. Cleve-
land has never, since he became Presi-
dent, been persuaded into doing or not
doing anything.
CONVENTION sPRCULATIoNs
The all absorbing topic wherever two
or three republicans are gathered to-
gether is the election of delegates to
the st. Louis convention. The claims
Of nomination are not positively made