The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-03-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGToN. ID. c., March 16

W ASHINGToN. ID. c., March l6
MIR. Observation-Disclosures week of Cuban
speechmaking in thcSenate has brought out
nothing new and has not practically chang
ed the situation. Whethcrthe Senate votes
again today. tomorrow. or continues the
speech making another week the result
will be the same The Senate will accept
the House resolution. President Clcye-
land has not Indicated what he will do,
but those who are familiar with his opln-
ions will not be surprised If he takes ad-
vantage of the opportunity offered by the
senate resolution asking for any Cuban in
formation in possession of the admlstra-
ton, to accompany that information with
Il message defining his position on the
question of recognizing the belligerency
of the CubanS.
Naval officials do not regard the propo-
sal to establish a government plant at
WaShin gton for the manufacture of armor
plates fol war ships with favor. Commo
dore Hichborn, chief of the Bureau of Con-
struction and Repairs, told the Senate
Committee on Naval Affairs why he OPP
posed the idea. He said that it would cost
81 900 900, exclusive of the site, to estab-
lish Il suitable plant, and that there would
not be enough work to keep the plant at
work ali the time. while it would be i'm
possible to secure the necessary skilled la
Dor unless the men were given permanent
places and paid whether they worked or
not.
Those who are fond of legislative prob
lens have been trying to figure out, taking
the vote of the committee on Privileges
and Elections as Il basis, what the Senate
will do with the resolution providing for
a constitutional amendment for the cleo
x,f l,,- 81,
Committee by vote of } to I ordered ia
vorably reported to the Senate. The com
mttce has nine members, five republicans
and four democrats. Three of the repub-
licans voted for the resolution and two
against it. while the democrats divided
equally, two for and two against. If the
division of democrats and republicans in
the Senate be in the same proportion, the
resolution will be adopted as it will be
supported by all the populists.
Ex-Gov. Campbell. of Ohio, who is re-
"arded as in line with the democratic pres
idential lightning, if he doesn't get struck,
is in Washington on business. He has
been observing the Mckinley boom and
thus sizes it up: It's pretty strong boom,
very healthy and vigorous right now, but
whether it will pan out next June Is an
other question. | hardly think it will If
next week. doubtless Gov. Mckinley would
be the nominee, but there is Il lot of time
| for the other people to develop counter
acting booms. Then there are the South
ern delegates that some people think will
| bear watching-they are Il factor in the St.
Louis convention
Secretary Morton has been doing some
| figuring in connection with the items
which have been placed in the agricultural
| bill against his within fact. in spite of his
| vigorous protest. He fin Is that in addition
| to the 100000 appropriated to buy seeds
| for free distribution, it will cost the Post
Office department. $4,000 for carrvin e
| the seed through the mail. That three
| books for exclusive Congressional distri-
| bution-''Thc report on the diseases of the
| horse, THE report on the diseases of cat
| tie, and "Consular reports on cattle and
| dairy farming will cost Sl41 800 and
! will cost the Post Office Department SAL
| 600 more to carry them, making IA total of
S1SS,5O0 At the conclusion of his tigur-
| ing on what he regards as eXtrava gances,
| because there are no adequate returns for
the money spent, Secretary Morton peril
nently asks: is it any wonder that the
| receipts of our postal service fail to equal
| its expenditures
The republican senators have been
counting noses on the question OF seating
| Col. Dupont as Senator from Delaware,
and they have discovered that if the re
port of the Elections Committee in favor
| of Dupont was voted upon today it would
be defeated. This is a surprise to the rad
| ical senators. They had counted upon the
vote of every republican senator for Du-
pont and of ut least two populiSts. Some
of the republican senators have up to this
! time refused to put themselves on record
as endorsing what they believe to be lille
gal and unconstitutional. Unless they can
| be Influenced to change their minds, Col
| Dupont will not write u S s." after his
name, until he can present better creden-
| tials than those he now has
The same old talk about the republicans
| of the House revolving against Speaker
Reeds program of curtailed appropra-
| tions at this session is heard again While
there are doubtless many republican mem
| bcrs of the House who would regard
| their chances of being renominated and
reelected as much better than they are
if they could land an appropriation or
two for their districts, there has been
nothing in their previous conduct to show
that they possess the nerve to revolt and
| | shall not believe they will until they do.
| No school master ever had his school I'M
| der better control than Mr.. Reed has the
| republican side of the House.