The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-04-17
The Mason County Journal.
ashington Letter.
From our regular correspondent
Shelton, April 18th, 1896.

The republican leaders in Congress
are men of too much experience in
such matters to allow themselves to be-
come the tools of the democrats and to
begin fighting each other, instead of
the common enemy. They know that
the little hope that democrats allow
themselves to indulge in of ever regain
ing control of this government again
is based entirely upon their ability to
stir up dissension among the support
ers of the several candidates for the
republican presidential nomination.
Notwithstanding the action and talk
of a few of the over-zeal0us friends of
the republican candidates, your cores
pendent has no hesitation whatever in
asserting that the contest fer the nom
ination will not be allowed either be-
fore or during the st. Louis convention
to degenerate into cat and dog fight
that will leave sores for the democrats
to throw salt on during the campaign.
Each of the candidates have warm
supporters among the national leaders
of the republican party, and each of
these leaders will use every honorable
effort to bring about the nomination
of his candidate, as he has perfect
right to do, but there will be no blows
below the belt with their sanction, and
when the nomination shall have been
made every man of them will be found
cordially supporting the nominee. In
Washington these things are we'll
known because republicans all know
the cordial personal relations which
exist between Speaker Reed, Cows.
Mckinley and Morton, and Senators
Allison, Cullom and Quay, and that
should any one of the six be chosen
that he would receive no warmer or
more heartfelt congratulation than
would come from the other five, but
they are here written for the especial
benefit of those republicans who some
times make the mistake of getting
their information as to republican af-
fairs from the democratic or assistant
democratic press.
Representative Mccall, of Mass, has
not been impressed with the alleged
reform made in the consular service
by the Cleveland administration. On
the contrary, Mr.. Mccall thinks our
consular service might be improved in
many ways which would add to it's
efficiency, and he has introduced bill
providing for a thorough investigation
OF the system by a non-partisan COM
mission, which shall report q plan OF
reorganization to the President in time
to be acted upon by the fifty-fifth Con-
gress at its first session. The bill is
now in the hands of the committee on
Foreign Affairs, and Mr.. Mccall hopes
to get it favorably reported and placed
on the calendar before the close of the
present session, and to get it passed at
the next session.
Speaker Reeds explanation of why
he reversed his ruling in the fifth-frst
Congress, that the presence of ma
Jorlty of the entire number OF members
entitled to seats in the House was nee
essary to constitute quorum, and
last week ruled that majority of the
living members of the House was a
legal quorum, is perfectly logical. He
was compelled to make his first ruling
on short notice and not desiring to
take any chances choose that view of
the question which could not possibly
be upset by the Courts-at the time it
will be remembered that the democ ats
were threatening to carry every ruling
he made into the Courts. Since then
he has made careful study of the
matter and become satisfied that a
majority of living members are a con
stitutional quorum.
For the second time since he has
been member of the Senate Senator
Quay's committee room has been bur-
glarized. The first time was in 1888,
when he was Chairman of the Repub-
llcan National Committee. There is
no doubt that the object of the bur-
glary in botn instances was the same
political information, which it was
thought could be obtained from Mr..
Quay's private papers. The last bur-
glary was no more success I'll than the
flrst, as about three weeks ago the
Senator had all his important private
papers removed from his committee
room to his house. Mr.. Quav's health
has not been good of late and his physi-
clan has ordered him to Florida to re-
main there until the weather gets
warmer in Washington. He declined
to discuss this last burglary before his
departure, further than to say that
somebody had taken a lot of trouble
and the chance for term in the pen
ltentary for nothing.
The Cuban question is now up to-
Mr.. Cleveland, the House having voted
In favor of the original Senate concur
rent resolution DECLARING in favor of