The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-04-22
OUR WASHING TON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, April 10, 1897.

President Mckinley is not taking
sides either for or against any of the
proposed amendments to the Dingley
tariff bill. All he has asked of the
Senators is that they will act upon
the bill as speedily as possible. He
believes that when the bill is passed
and the amendments adopted by the
Senate have been acted upon by q
conference committee that the bill
will be as good a measure as it posi-
bly, can be made under existing cir
cumstances.
The much talked about amend
ments TO the Dingley tariff bill, which
Western Senators have asked for turn
out to be very different from the pre-
dictions made by those who have been
hoping for breach in the Republican
ranks in the Senate wide enough to
defeat the tariff bill. The amendment
deals mostly with the wool schedule,
and are largely devoted to so classify
ing wool that some of the frauds
known to have been perpetrated I'M
der the classification of the Mckinley
tariff, will be avoided 1t is also
claimed by the Western Senators that
these amendments are intended to
equalize the protection given to the
wool manufacturer and the wool
grower.
The regular semi-weekly row be-
tween the followers of Representative
Bailey, of Texas, and those of Repres-
entative McMillin, of Tenn, the rival
would-be Democratic leaders, has be-
come a feature of the short meetings
of the House, which draws full gal
leries and which has crowded Jerry
Simpsons little Populist circus to the
wall. In this rivalry local paper,
which poses as Bryan's mouth-pie
has sought to convey the impression
in its daily diatribes against Bailey
that McMillin was the personal repre-
sentative of Mr.. Bryan. One of these
editorials was denounced on the floor
of the House as IAN infamous and
malicious lie'' by Mr.. Bailey, who adj
ded by way of emphasis: "Idenounce
every man who has helped to circu-
| late it as an Infamous and malicious
liar The editorial in question said
in effect that the leadership of Mr..
Bailey was the leadership Of Mr..
Reed
Not wishing to keep the new Sena-
tors out of the privileges belonging
to members of the committees any
longer, the Republican Caucus Com
mittee charged with comforting with
the Democratic committee on the sub
ject, reported to the caucus in favor
ofaccepting the last Democratic prop
ositiOn for filling the committee va
cancies. This programme gives
the Republicans all vacancies,
including chairmanships, that were
made by the retirement of Re
publicans, and gives one place on
the Appropriation Committee that
was filled by a Democrat to Repu-
blican, while the Committee on Post
Offices and Post Roads will get one
additional Democrat. This arrange
ment is not altogether desirable but
it is the best the Republicans can do
until they get a majority in the Sen
ate. 1t allows them to retain the
Craftsmanship of all the most inpor-
tant committees, but on some of these
committees they will be in the minor
ity.
| The opinion of a gentleman, who
has recently spent a long period in
Japan, on the intentions of that cOun-
try towards Hawaii is interesting, in
view of recent rumors concerning the
sending of warships TO Hawaii by ia
pan, aud of the statement of the Jap
anese minister to the U. S. that his
country has no improper designs on
Hawaii. This gentleman is Mr.. w. b.
Edminster, now in Washington, and
he says: at is my opinion, based
upon a long intercourse with the Jap
anese, that it is their ultimate aim to
| swOop down on Hawaii, capture the
island, and through force of arms set
up government of their own. 1t is
the common talk in the streets of ia
pans capital that Japan is entitled to
plant her flag in Hawaii for the reason
that the japanese outnumber any
other nationality on the islands, 1t
will be remembered that Congress has
explicitly declared that the u. :.
would not countenance any interfer-
ence with the government of Hawaii
by any foreign government and many
believe that it is that declaration
alone which has caused Japan to keep
her hands off Hawaii up to this time.
Judge Day, of Canton, Ohio, who
is going to Cuba as a special U. S.
Consul to cooperate with Consul
General Lee in making an investiga-
ton of the charges concerning the