Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-07-03
ALL EYES ON CHICAGO
POLITICIANS ENGAGE IN A MAZE
OF GUESS-WORK.

for NOminatiOn-A Lively Time
Job Lot''-COst of Armor Plates
McKinley's Promises.
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June Goth, 1896.
Little except the Chicago conyen-
ton is talked about by the politicians
OF all parties who are now in Wash
ington. All sorts of guesses are being
made as to what the convention will
do, but nobody pretends to be able to
do more than guess. One thing
seems certain, if such Democrats as
Senators Harris, OF Tenn, and Jones
of Ark, are in touch with the con-
trolling element in the convention, as
they are believed to be. That is, that
Senator Teller will not be even
seriously considered as candidate for
the Presidential nomination. An
other thing which seems probable, if
not quite certain, is that the South
will not furnish the candidate. Senator
Blackburn who has been endorsed by
the Kentucky Democrats will, it is
stated, declare his appreciation OF the
compliment and then decline the sup
port offered, because Of his belief that
it would be unwise to nominate
southern man.
1t is generally admitted by Demo-
Gratis that the fight in the Chicago con-
vention will probably be the bitterest
since the convention of 1860, but they
all hope that the result will not be so
disastrous and are all certain what
ever the outcome that there will not
be two Democratic Presidential tickets
in the field this year. Ample time is
to he given for the delegates to fully
consider the platform and the ticket,
with the understanding that when ac-
ton is taken it shall be concurred in
by the minority. Notwithstanding
the extraordinary efforts which Presi-
dent Cleveland and his friends are
making to prevent it, the general i'm.
preston among al, classes OF politicians
is that the platform will declare for
the independent free coinage of silver
by this country at the ratio of I6 to l.
There was no surprise in Washing
ton when it was stated as coming d.
rect from Mr.. Hobart himself that his
nomination for Vice President WAS the
result of an understanding months be-
fore the convention with Mark Hanna,
but when Hobart's talk got back TO
Hanna there was probably a few re.
marks made which could not be printed
in family newspaper. One Republic.
can remarked when told what Hobart
had said that he thought Hanna
might At least have selected man for
second place on the ticket who knew
enough to keep his mouth shut.
1t looks like it may be ascertained
after while just what it costs to make
armor plate for warships. During the
last session of Congress the Senate
Naval committee made bluff at find
ing out, but it made such a bad
failure that the House committee an
nounced its intention 10 try, and mean.
while insisted upon inserting in the
naval appropriation bill clause in
structing the Secretary of the Navy to
make no more contracts for armor
plate until Congress acted upon the
matter, and also instructing him to
have an investigation made by naval
officers. This week Secretary Herbert
appointed board consisting of Capt.
Sampson, chief of the Bureau OF
Ordinance; Lieutenent Commander
N. Z. Niles, and Lieutanent A. A.
Alderman to investigate and report to
Congress. The general belief is that
too much has been charged for the
plates by the only two concerns in the
country which have the plants to
make them.
| see," said man who served in
Congress with Mckinley and who
knows him too well to vote for him,
that Mark Hanna is reported to have
said that Mckinley secured that
nomination without making any
promises. II Hanna said that he must
have been joking, for he must know
that making promises has always been
weakness with Mckinley. Why, it
kept him in hot water nearly all the
time he was Governor of Ohio, and he
even went so far sometimes as to
promise the same thing to two different
men. In one such case. where both
men had too much influence to be
turned down, he had to get the
legislature to help him out at the ex-
pense of the State by making two
positions at $1,000 year where only
one had existed when he promised it
to two men. Not made any promises
Why. I'll bet my very head that Nc
Kinley has promised away every posi-
ton worth having in the gift of the
President, and nobody knows it any
better than Mark Hanna"
While the rumor-mongers were
firing off whole brOadsides ol Fourth.
of-July war fireworks, based upon what
they supposed would be the nature of
Gen. Fitzhugh Lees report on the
situation in Cuba, which, by the way,
the President has not yet received, the
President was catching few salt
water fish, and Secretary Olney was
getting two or three days rest out OF
town. When it comes down to hard
work the sensational newspaper man
wears the belt all the time. Dem.