The free press., 1896-06-11
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WASHINGTON LETTER. II
(From Our Regular Correspondent

VddhiuRtOH, Jun6 OH, 1910.
A bombshell has been exploded
in the camp Of the jubilant McKin-
leyites by the positive announce
ment that Speaker Reed will not
under any circumstances play sec.
ond fiddle in the Mckinley orches-
ira. MIR. Reed is thoroughly dis
gusted man. He thought he had
his party in hand as well as he has
had the republican majority Of the
House, and it hurts him to be knock
ed out by the man who has less
ability than any of the prominent
candidates for the nominations; and
makes him mad to see men who
had pledged their support to him
falling over each other to announce
their allegiance to Mckinley,
President CleYeland was not sur-
prised when Congress passed the
River and Harbor bill over his veto,
nor has that changed his opinion Of
the merits of the bill, and predic-
lions are freely made that very
small portion of the money appro.
priated by the bill, now in law, will
be paid out by the present admin
istration. There are more ways to
Kill dog than hanging him.
The Batter bill prohibiting the
further issue Of bonds without the
consent of Congress was passed by
the Senate, the vote being 80 to %,
silver being the dividing line, Lut
was quickly shelved by the House,
which voted to lay it on the table,
after it had been adversely reported
from the Ways and Means commit
tee.
Unless the difficulty of keeping
a quorum present in the House,
which is becoming greater every
day, shall delay the transaction of
business Congress will adjourn by
the middle of next week, probably
a little earlier. But there are sev-
eral members of the House who
stop everything by raising the point
of "no quorum" everytime they
get the opportunity. There is no
expectation of doing anything else
than to finish up the regular ap-
preparation bills.
Ex-GOv. Campbell, OF Ohio, who
is considered by many to stand a
good show for the dem G ratio nom
ination, is in Washington. He
doesn't believe there will be a split
in the party at the Chicago conven
ton. Speaking about it, he said
III fee! quite certain that when the
democrats meet in National conven
tion at Chicago they will exercise
good enough wisdom and moderation
to frame platform liberal enough
and broad enough for all member
of the party to stand upon. I be-
lleve that conservatism and goot
sense will prevail, and that differ
ences of opinion will be subordina
ted to party welfare. The silve
men appear to be in the majorlt,
and will doubtless exercise th
rights always accorded a majority
but that is no reason for imagining
} that the party will split into frag
ments, as has been so cheerful,
predicted by a good many people
who don't in the least know wha
they are talking about. The demo
cratic party has survived too mapy
ordeals to dread shipwreck now
and it will continue to exist and Il
win victories as it has been doing
from the beginning"
1t would be amusing, if it were
not such really serious matter, tt
see the care with which the repub-
licans in Congress are guarding
their talk in Cuban affairs. Such mer
as Senators Sherman and Chandler
who were talking nothing but rip.
snorting jlngoism few weeks age
are now as mum as Quakers on the
subject. The reason is that some,
how or other the republicans have
become convinced that President
Cleveland is getting ready to beat
Congress at it's own game, by an
early recognition of the outrigh.
independence of Cuba. Whether
the President has any such inten-
tion Is q matter about which those
who could speak by authority will
not talk. 1t is probable that the
republican scare grew out Of Pres.
ldent Cleveland saying to Senator
Sherman and two other members
of the Oommitte on Foreign Rela4
tions, who called at the White House
to discuss Cuban affairs, that he
thought recognition of the inde-
pendence of Cuba was preferable
to recognizing the Cubans as bel.
ligerents.
II is now openly conceded even
by such sturdy opponents of silver
ss secretaries Smith and Morton
that . large majority of the delegates