Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1896-02-15
THOSE MAINE MEN an Ir.n.
rNAoy Matters Quite lndefiulte-Did
Morgan Receive Tip7

Washington, to be Secretary of the
Senate; Mr. Fl. /. Grant, of North
Carolina. to be Sergeant at Arms, aud
Mr.. Alonzo Stewart, of Iowa, to be
Assistant Doorkeeper, authorized Sem
ator Sherman to call up the question
of the election of these officers when
ever he sees fit, but he is not expected
to do so until assured that they can be
elected In other words. until certain
that at least one populist will vote
with the republicans. That leaves
matters in an indefinite shape. Sen
ator Frye has been unanimously cleo
ted President pro tenn. but when the
other republican officials can be cleo
ted nobody knows 1t may be toner
row; it may be not at ALL
/ The outlook for the House tariff bill
is not encouraging, no matter whether
Senator Quay resolution, torecommit
/ the free coinage substitute, which the
Finance committee last week report
ed. to the committee, be adopted or
not. If adopted there is nothing to
show that Senator Jones, of Nevada.
who holds the balance of power, will
allow anything but a free coinage
substitute to be reported from the
committee. And fit isn't adopted,
there is little hope of getting the
tariff bill through the Senate.
The House will this week refuse to
concur in the Senate free coinage sub
stitute for the House bond bill, and
the substitute will be sent to confer
ence, where it is likely to remain.
The syndicate represented by Mr. ].
Pierpont Morgan will get about one
third of that bond issue, simply be-
cause its bid for the entire issue was
tiny fraction higher than that put in
by the syndicate represented by an
other New York banker. Whether
Mr.. Morgan made bi1 close shave by
reason of advance information-he
probably dds a question, but the
most important fact conr ected with
Mr.. Morgan's bid was that, although
the market quotation for these bonds
was little lower than it was last year
when he made that private deal with
MIR. Cleveland for the 500, 900, 900
bond issue, and that these bonds will
have one year less to run, his bid for
these bonds was about seven cents on
the dollar-S7, 900, 600, in all-in ex-
cess ofthe price he paid for the same
bonds one year ago.
Has the Senate right through
select committee to investigate the
election of members of State Legis-
lature which elects u. S. Senator9
That is the problem which has been
referred to a subcommittee of the
Senate Elections committee, and the
answer will probably determine what
action the committee will take upon
Senator Aliens resolution for an in
vestigation of the Alabama legislative
election which preceded Senator Nor
gan's last election to the Senate.
The vote of forty to twenty-eight,
by which the Senate referred the reso-
luton providing for the distribution
Of several of the regular appropriation
bills among committees-they now
all go to the Appropriation commit
tee-to the Committee on Rules with
instructions to report back on the first
day OF the next session, was great
compliment to Senator Allison, who
is chairman Of the Committee on APP
preparations. There is little doubt
that a majority of the Senate would
have voted for the change had it not
been for the fear that such action by
the Senate at this time would have
been construed by some people as
reflection upon Senator Allison.
The report of the Nicaragua Canal
Commission is not encouraging to
Congressional action on the canal; at
least, not on the lines heretofore pro-
posed. Inaddition to nearly doubling
the estimate of the cost of its con
struction, the report says plans must
be changed or it cannot be construct
ed at all. a majority of both branch
es of Congress favors the construction
Of the canal, but they are far from
agreeing as to just how it should be
done. This will result in delaying
anything like positive action.
Justice Brewer, President Of the
Venezuelan Boundary Commission.
has made public statement denouf1c-
ing the stories published in sensation
al newspapers about the luxury and
extravaganza of the Com mission.
Justice Brewer says, and his word has
never been doubted, that instead OF
being extravagant the commission
has been very economical, and that he
expects it to continue to be economi-
cal until its work is completed.
Delegate Catron, of New Mexico,
has received many congratulations
for the cleverness he displayed In
pushing bis bill, against prize fight
ing in the territories and the District
of Columbia, through the House and
Senate without delay or even a single
adverse vote. The bill became law
as soon as it reached Mr. Cleveland,
who for once agreed with Congress
There is no doubt about the leading
position Maine holds in this Congress
With Senator Frye President pro TEN
Of the Senate. Senator Hale. Chairman
of the Printing Committee. Speaker
Reed presiding over the House, and
Representatives Dingley, Boutelle and
Miliiken Chairmen Of three important
House COMMITTEES, surely Maine may