The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-03-04
Washington Letter.
(From Our Regular Correspondence
: WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 1897.

ieSlSudGlOu VI Oil IuIedI6ueu 10 10 |
so, because of the failure of the adj
ministration to support the demands
he made on Gen. Weyler in behalf of
American citizens arrested by the
Spaniards in Cuba, will not be posi-
lively known until Secretary Olney
replies to the Senate resolution cali
ing for copies of all correspondence
between Gen. Lee and the state de-
partment, and there seems actually |
to be doubt as to whether Olney
will comply with that resolution.
The feeling is general in congress
that the administration has never
taken congress entirely into it's conf
dence as to it's relations with Spain
and as to it's official information, and
nothing but the fact that the admin
istration will retire next week pre-
vents some vigorous action on the
part of congress that would make
things warm for Cleveland and Olney.
It would naturally be supposed that
Olney would have given Senator
Sherman, who is soon to succeed him
as secretary of state: all the informa-
ton in his possession, but it is known
that he has not done so. On the con-
trary, he told Senator Sherman that
there was no important news from
Cuba, when it is known that he had
IN his possession a communication
from Consul Gen. Lee that was of the
utmost Importance. It is difficult to
account for Olney's peculiar action in
this matter, which has revived much
of the ugly talk about his personal
relations with the Spanish minister,
which was so prevalent some time
ago.
***
Mr.. T. S. Ellison, of Minnesota,
called upon an official of the P. O. D.,
who is personal friend, to get some
idea of the places outside of the civil
service rules in that department, for
a friend at his home who has official
aspirations. In Mr.. Ellison's own
words, this is what occurred after he
had greeted his friend and told the
nature of his Grand: "He told me
to get sheet of. paper and write
down the places that the law exclud-
ed as he called them off. I got
sheet of foolscap, and in my inno-
cence imagined that a rather big job
lay in front of me. First, said he,
the postmaster general and a private
secretary; then four assistant post
master generals Here he came to a
pretty long stop, and thinking that
he was waiting on me, I indicated my
readiness to proceed. That's ALI, he
said. Holy smoke! You can't mean
it! What! Only six places in one of
the biggest departments in Washing
ton outside of the civil service rules?
But he did mean it, ana recited moth
ing but the cold facts, as found up
on verifcation of his statement"
TX
AS a rule republicans in congress
think the address issued this week by
the senators and representatives who
bolted the st. Louis convention would
better have been left unissued. The
signers of it-among them is Senator
Jones of Nevada who at the last ses-
sion of congress announced that he
had left the republican party and be-
come a populist-put forth the claim
that they are still republicans, al
though they bolted the republican
national convention and at the pres
ent session of congress declined an
invitation to enter the republican
caucus, and ask other republicans to
sustain them by joining in the organ
ization of a silver republican party.
This address was signed by six sena-
tors and four representatives.
TX
Visitors to previous inaugerations
have criticized unfavorably the fail
ure to decorate the public buildings
when money is so lavishly spent to
decorate private buildings. There
will be no such criticism this time, as
the public buildings are to be hand
somely decorated and also illuminate
ed on the night Of Merch 4th, as they
have not been since the capture of
Richmond in 1865.
~
The first member of President Nc
Kinley's cabinet to arrive in Wash
ington was Hon. Jas. A. Gray, of
Maryland, and the second, Hon. Ly-
man j. Gage, of III. They are both
on the lookout for residences for their
families. They received a cordial
welcome from Senator Sherman, their
colleague-to-be in the cabinet, and
from the other republicans in con-
! gress. Neither of them would con-
sent to be quoted on public matters,
on the ground that it is not yet time
for them to speak. Both gentlemen
already knew many senators and
members of the house and nearly all
have since made their acquaintance
and those who met them for the first
time have nothing but good words to
say of their impressions of both men.
~
Congress has got to do some lively
work to get the appropriation bills
all disposed of by the close of the
session. The senate this week began
meeting at II o'clock, and there is
talk of holding night sessions in both
branches nf c0npress