The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-04-09
on WASHINGTON LETTER.
ma Our Regular Cor espondentJ
v AsHINGToN, April 6, 1896.

gress are men OF too much expert
enc in such matters to allow
themselves to become the tools of
the Democrats and to begin fighting
each other, instead Of the common
enemy. They know that the little
hope chat Democrats allow them
selves to indulge in Of ever regain
ing control Of this government
again is based entirely upon their
ability to stir up discussion among
the supporters of the several candi-
dates for the Republican presiden-
tial nomination. Notwithstanding
the action and talk of a few Of the
over Jealous friends of some of the
Republican candidates, your CORE
Snondent has no hesitation whatever
in asserting that the contest for the
domination will not be allowed
either before or during the st. Louis
convention to degenerate into a cat
and dog fight that will leave sores
for tae Democrats to throw salt on
during the camprign. Each of the
candidates have warm supporters
among the national leaders of the
Republican party, and each of
sese leaders will use every honora
Die effort to bring about the noml-
nation of his candidate, as he has a
perfect right TO do, but there will
De no blows below the belt with
their sanction, and when the nomi-
nation shall have been made every
man of them will be found cordially
supporting the nominee. In Wash
ington these things are well known
because Republicans all know the
cordial personal relations which ex-
ist between Speaker Reed, Cows.
Mckinley and Morton and Senators
Allison, CullOm and Quay, land 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 special
benefit of those Republicans who
sometimes make the mistake of get
ting their information as to Repub-
lican affairs from the Democratic or
assistant Democratic press.
Representative Mccall, Of Mass
achusetts, has been impressed with
the alleged reform made in the con
sular service by the Cleveland
administration. On the contrary,
Mr. Mccall thinks our consular
service might be improved in many
ways which would add to its effl-
cheney, and he has introduced bill
providing for thorough inyestiga-
ton of the system by non-partisan
commission, which shall report a
plan of reorganization to the Presi-
dent in time to be acted upon by
the fifty-ffth Congress 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 get it
passed at the next session.
Speaker Reeds explanation of
why he reversed his ruling in the
dfty-frst Congress, that the pres
ence of a majority Of the entire
number of members entitled to
seats in the House was necessary to
constitute a quorum, and last week
ruled that majority of the living
mem bers 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 chose
that view of the question which
could not possibly be upset by the
courts-at the time it will be
remem bered that the Democrats
were threatening to carry every
ruling he made into the courts.
Since then he has made q careful
study of the matter and become
satisfied that majority Of living
members are a constitutional quo
rum.
For the second time since he has
been a member of the Senate, Sen
ator Quay's committee room has
been burglauzed. The first time
was in 1888, when he was chairman
of the Republican National Com
mittee. There Is no doubt that the
object Of the burglary in both
Instances was the same - political
information which 1t was though
could be obtained from Mr.. Quay's
private papers. The last burglary
was no more successful than the
first, as about three weeks ago the
Senator had all his important pri-
vate papers removed from his COM
mittee room to his house. Mr.
QuaY's health has not been good of
late and his physician ordered him
to Florida to remain there until the
weather gets warmer in Washing