Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-03-27
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
SECRETARY SMITHS COURSE TO
PROTECT PUBLIC INTERESTS.
The President Vergiug on Three
ScOre-Ex.Gsv. Campbell Out of
the Ring-McKinley Boom is In.
Hated by GrOsveROr, of Ohio.

Hated by GrOSvcnOr, of Ohio.
From Our Regular Correspondent
/ WASHINGTON, March, Goth, 1896.
Secretary Smith is exercising his
discretion about opening TO public
settlement some 100000 acres of
land which was part of an Indian
reservation in Utah was the cause OF
his being abused to considerable ex-
tent on the floor of the Senate this
week. These lands contain valuable
deposits of asphalt enough it is said to
supply the demand for the entire coun-
try for years to cOme-and Senator
Gordon stated in reply to the criticism
OF Secretary Smith for not opening
the lands to the public that it was
only because the Secretary wished to
protect the interests of the government
against rapacious persons and corpora
tions seeking to control these deposits,
and because he believed that the gov
eminent ought to receive some benefit,
either by royalty or otherwise for these
mineral deposits that he had not
opened the lands to settlement.
Senator Villas, who became familiar
with the subject while he was Sec
rotary of the Interior, also defended
the policy adopted by Secretary Smith.
Senator Vest joined the Republicans
in criticising Secretary Smith.
President Cleveland celebrated his
fifty-ninth birthday on Wednesday,
the 18th inst.
Ex-Gov. Campbell OF Ohio, who has
been in Washington for several days,
puts positive end to talk about his
being the Presidential candidate of the
party by declaring that he will under
no circumstances allow his name to
60 before the Chicago convention.
He thus added force TO the advice he
gives the Democratic party in relation
to the coming National convention
He says: Every man who goes To
the convention as q delegate should
60 pledged to support the candidate
and accept the platform of that con-
vention. No matter who may he
named to make the canvass; no matter
what the platform may contain, they
should be accepted, and the only hope
OF party continuation lies in their &C.
ceptance. A delegate who goes to
Chicago with the intention to stay il
the majority agree with him and &C
cept his candidate or make his plat
form, whether on finance, tariff, or
what else; who means to bolt if his
notion OF men and measures is voted
down, is a traitor in advance. He has
no business in the convention. He
should stay at home"
1t was made perfectly clear at this
weeks meeting OF the House commit
tee on Naval Affairs that the Demo.
Gratis favor larger increase in our
navy than the Republicans do. The
Democrats on the committee, led by
Amos Cummings, who was chairman
OF the committee in the last House,
wanted to provide for the building OF
six battleships and rs torpedo boats,
but the most they could get the Re-
publican majority of the committee to
agree to was four battleships and Is
torpedo boats.
1t is denied that the dinner and re-
ception given by the British AM
bassador this week in honor OF Sec
rotary and Mrs. Olney had any inter-
national political meaning, and stated
that it was of the regular entertain.
ments which had to be given later than
usual on account OF the Embassy
having mad to 60 into official mourn.
ing for the death of Queen Victoria's
son-in-law.
Representative Grosvenor, of Ohio.
is recognized as one of the leading Nc
Kinley men in the House, and il may
be mentioned in passing that Gros-
venor also has . record as hoodoo OF
the first water. However, what
started out to say was that Grosvenor
is making himself the laughing stock
of Congress by the ridiculous claims
he is making for Mckinley. He says
that Mckinley will receive 620 votes
on the first ballot at the St. Louis con-
vention, which would be one hundred
and sixty-odd more than would be
needed to nominate him. That Nc
Kinley is leading is certain and that
he will win if he can make q dicker
with Quay and Plat is probable. But
it is certain that he is long ways
from having enough votes in sight a t
this time to win upon the first ballot
or any other ballot, and his ability to
make trade with Quay and Plat will
depend entirely upon how much
strength he can control without them.
If he can get enough to win with the
addition of the votes controlled BY
Quay and Plat and will give them as
good terms as Reed has given them,
there is little doubt that he could
be the nominee. Dem.