The times., 1897-04-06
CAPITOL GOSSIP.


c. II. Harman, OF New York. who is
president OF the CoiInora Manganese Com
pany, whose mines are In Augusta county,
Va, Is To go before the Senate Finance
Committee and urge the placing OF duty
on manganese ores There has never
before been duty on manganese. Here
tofore it has come to this country from
abroad as ballast, and at such low price,
says President Harman, as to shut out
competition ty American manganese.
About u year ago Baltimore company,
organized by John X. Cowen and Harry
A. Parr, secured control Of rich manganese
mines ON the Isthmus Of Panama aud have
developed and are now operating them,
supplying very large part OF the demand
for manganese.
manganese is largely used In the manu-
facture of steel, glass, phospho-bronze,
dyes, and paints. OF course, the little Vir
ginia industry must be protected" and
the price of all these products raised in
order TO restore prosperity.
Representative Pearsons effort goes to
protect a couple OF small and abandoned
mica mines in North Carolina at the ex-
pense of all the consumers of the United
States
The great Democratic victory reported
from Cincinnati may be considered as
fully launching John K. McLean's boom
for the United States Senate. 1t also gives
assurance that Chairman Hanna's skill
is going to be taxed to the utmost to hold
his seat in the Senate The election turns
over the great machinery Of Cincinnati
to the Democratic organization, and seems
to give promise that Hamilton county
may elect the Democratic legislative ticket
this fan If that is the result Mclean
cannot be beaten.
The Cincinnati vote is also regarded
as forerunner of what may be expected
in Chicago tomorrow, and is believed by
prominent Democrats to mark the begin
ming of great and widespread reaction
from last falls vast Republican and gold
majorities.
Cincinnati went Republican last fall by
10000 majority The early dispatches
last night reported that the city had gone
Democratic by 5000 to 10000.
From all the information that can be
gathered from the Republican steering com
mtttee 1t Is apparent that the Republican
Senators claim TO have won n bloodlesS
victory. They assert that the committees
of the Senate will be reorganized, but not
enough to hurt. The present understand
ing, as given out by Chairman Allison TO
confidential friends, is that the Demo
Gratis and Popuiists will offer no objec
ton to a reorganization that will place
the new Senators on some committees.
The only contest will be over the Finance
Committee, the Appropria tions Commit
tee and one or two other committees OF
the first Importance Senator Alisons
plan Is TO take care Of the new Senators on
uncontested committees and await more
favorable opportunity before undertaking
to take control OF the big committees.
This opportunity, the Senator hopes. will
come when the oppostionis is in a mellower
mood, or after Kentucky or some other
State sends a Republican to the Senate.
This is the Republican plan. Members
of the Democratic steering committee say
there will be no factious opposition TO
an arrangement that will give the new
Republican Senators places, but they have
not agreed and shall not consent TO any
change in the political status OF the great
committees.