The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-07-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, JUNE Goth, 1896.

ton is talked about by the politicians
# all parties who are now in Wash
innton. All sorts of Guesses are being
made as to what the convention will
do, but nobody pletends 20 be able to
do more than guess. One thing seems
certain, If such democrats as Senators
Harris, of Tenn, aud Jones, Of Ark,
are III touch with the controlling ele-
ment in the convention. us they are
believed to be. That is, that Senator
Teller will not be even seriously con-
sidered as a candidate for the Pres;-
dental nomination. Another thing
which seems probable. if not quite
certain, is that the Soath will not
furnish the candidate. senator Black
burn who has been endorsed by the
Kentucky democrats Will. it is stuffed,
3 declare his appreciation Of he coinpli-
ment and then decline the support
offered, because of his belief that it
would be unwise to nominate Il south
ern man.
1t is generally admitted Nv demo
Gratis that the fight IN the Chicago
convention will probably be the blt-
telest since the convention of 1860,
but they all hope that the result will
not be SO disastrous 4; and ale all Ger
tain, whatever the outcome, that there
will not be two democratic P~iesiden-
tiai tickets in the field this year.
Ample time is to be given for the Gel
egitcs to fully consider the platform
and tire ticket, with the understanding
that when action is taken it shall be
%concurred III by the minority. Not
withstaniing the extraordinary efforts
which President Cleveland and his
friends are making to prevent it, the
general impression Among all classes
of politicians is that the platform will
declare fer the independent free col
mage OF silver hy this country at the
ratio of Is to l..
- There was no surprise in Washing
ton when it was stated us coming di-
rect from Mr.. Hobart himself that his.
nomination for Vice President was
the result of an understanding, months
before the convention with Mark Han
ma. but when Hubart's talk cot back
to Hanna there was probably Il few
remarks made which could not be
printed in II family newspaper. One
republican remarked when told what
Hobart had said that he thought Ham
IA might at least have selected II man
for second place. on the ticket who
knew enough to keep his mouth shut.
II looks like it may be ascertained
after a while just what it costs to make
plate for warships. During the
last session of Congress the Senate
Naval committee made q bluff at find
ing ont, but it made such il bad failure
that the House committee announced
its intention 70 try. and meanwhile
insisted upon inserting in the naval
appropriation bill Il clause %instructins
the Secretary of the Navy to make no
NOR" contracts Tor armor plate until
Congress acted upon the matter, and
also i%nstructing him to have an inves-
tigation made by naval officers. This
week Secretary Herbert appointed a
board consisting OF Capt. ". 7.
Sampson. chief of the Bureau of Ordi-
nance 1t. Commander n. E. Niles,
and 1t. A. A. Alderman to investigate
and report to Congress. The general
belief is that too mt CHI has been charg-
ed TOR the plates by the only two con
Germs in the country which have tie
plants 60 make them.
II see,'' said a mar who served in
Congress with Mckinley and who
knows him too wei to vote for him.
"that Mark Hanna is reported to have
said that Mckinley secuted that nom-
inatlon without making any promises
If Hanna said that he must have peen
joking, for he must know that making
promises has always been IL weakness
with Mckinley. Why. it kept him in
hot water nearly all the time lie was
Governor of Ohio, and he ever went
SO far sometimes as to promise the
same thing to two different men. In
one such case, where both men had
too mnch influence 10 be turned down,
he had to get the legislature to help
him out at the expense of the State by
making two positions at 5000 a year
where only one had existed when he
rlo.nlsed it to W men. Not made
amy promises, why, I'll bet my very
head that Mckinley has promised
away every position worth having in
the gift of the President, and nobody
knows it any better than Mark
Hanna
liie the ruHlor mongerS were firing
off whole broadsides of Fourth-of-Ju,y
va: fireworks. based upon what they
supposed would bn the nature Of Gen.
Fitz'insll Lees report on the situation
III Cuba, which, by the way, the Pfesi-
dent has not yet received, the Presi-
dent was catching a few salt water
fish. and Secretary Clney was getting
two or three days rest out of town.
WheH it M down to hard work the