The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-27
GOSSIP OF THE CAPITAL
INTERESTING LETTER CONCERNING
STATESMEN AND MEASURES
Jersey Smiths Career-DemOcratfO
Senators Whose Terms Expire I'm
1S90-The Leather Manufacturers.


quaintance would suspect of being a lover
of art yet he has probably the finest pri-
vate collection of paintings in Washington.
He does not advertise his fad, but he is
an indefatigable collector OF paintings, and
will have none but the best Senator Smith
has an interesting history. When a young
man. hardly more than a boy he started
in to learn his fathers business, that OF
mercantile broker but 1t very soon oc-
CURED to him that IL he was going to make
money the best thing for him TO do would
be to engage in business in which he
would be enabled to eliminate the middle
man and sell his productions directly to the
consumer. He thought he could foresee the
time when the broker could be dispensed
with. He selected the leather business as
the one that afforded the best promise. and
apprenticed himself to tanner and manu-
facturer of patent leather He learned the
trade from the ground up Having the bus
mess instinct highly developed he began
making money very soon after the expira-
ton OF his apprenticeship. and is to-day the
largest producer of patent leather in the
United States, and several times Million
aire. classified Senator Smith wrong in a
previous letter in which he. was rated as
one of the -millionaires of the Senate.
Senator Smith plays politics as he plays
ment. He was alderman of Newark and
then mayor for several years before he be-
came United States senator. Senator
Smith is ford, portly we'll fed man, with
perfectly white hair. He looks as though
he might be sixty years of age, but in
reality he is only fortv-six.
Six apparently strong Republican States
are represented by Democratic senator's,
whose terms will expire in 1899, namely,
Murphy, of New York; Mitchell. of wis
ccnsin; Turpie, of Indiana: Smith. of New
Jersey, Faulkner, of West Virginia, and
German, of Maryland. 1t may be claimed
that West Virginia and Maryland are In
the doubtful list, but this the Republicans
will not admit. and they are banking
strongly on having decided straightout
majority over all opposition two years
hence. The contest for senator which will
excite the most interest Will probably be
that in Maryland and Senator German will
make the fight Of his life for reelection
His friends claim that the people of the
State ripe for revolt against alleged
Republican misrule, and that the factional
troubles which have already arisen among
the Republicans will insure their defeat
The Democrats are quite as sanguine as
conditions warrant, and as the Republicans
nearly all over the State it may be found
impossible for Germans forces to dislodge
them They are outside OF the breastworks,
and have the hardest fighting to do. New
York Wisconsin and New Jersey figure in
the calculations of Republican politicians
as being solidly Republican as Iowa or
Vermont. They have less to say about In,
diana and West Virginia, though looking on
both Of these States as practically certain
to replace Democrats with Republicans.
Senator Turpie's ambition to succeed him
self will be antagonized in his own party
by Ex-Governor Matthews, who feels that he
is entitled to the office. Senator Turpie is
one of the very ablest men in the United
States Senate, but he lacks many of the
elements of practical statesman"
The antics of the leather manufacturers
of the New England and other Eastern
States over the proposition of Congress to
put a duty on hides are amusing. They
have been in Washington in considerable
force for several weeks. Most of them are
in a trust combination, but this is a
fact they have not talked about The
burden of their song has been that If a
duty is put hides they will be ruined
and that the foreign trade which this coun-
try has built up will be seized by Canada.
They say they cannot compete with Ca
nadians in the expectation of leather If a
tax is put on raw hides imported from the
Argentine and other countries. This argu-
ment is forcefu1. and has heretofore
kept hides on the free list, but it so
happens that on this occasion nearly all Of
the men who are clamorng for free hides
are VIGOROUSLY in favor of taxing every
other kind of raw material, being protec-
tionists to the core. Hence, the states
men in the Capitol have been inclined to
give them the merry laugh when ap-
preached with demands or appeals Cor spe-
cial favors TO the leather interests. The
tanneries now have passed the
stage of intent industries
Certain people who have so much leisure
on their hands that they are fmpelled TO
look after the affairs of their neighbors
are inquiring of some of the lawyers in
Congress If a way cannot be devised 10
prevent life insurance companies from en-
gaging in the business of buying UP the poll
icies of their own patrons. 1t appears that
many Of the strong companies have for the
last year or two been discounting their own
paper, as it were, and utilizing their sur
pluses by driving hard bargains with those
who have policies with them, and thereby
reducing their obligations. From q purely
mOney-maklng STANDPOINT this would prob
ably be called entirely legitimate, but it Is
foreign to the theory of life insurance. and
has given offense to a certain class OF in
duentiaI personages, who are evincing a
disposition to get after the insurance
companies and compel them to return to
their legitimate calling. The insurance
companies that have been buying up the
policies of their patrons defend themselves
by saying that they are doing a really char
liable thing by enabling their friends to get
hold of easy money, and that when times
improve these same people will reinsure.
Whether the abuse complained Of If abuse
it be, can be remedied by national legisla-
ton is an open question
Pfeffer, the baseball man, tells 3. story
illustrative of the influence of the mission
aries in the Hawaiian islands. Pfeffer was
on one Of the teams that made tour
Of the world a few years ago, and the
steamer upon which they sailed from San
Francisco to Australia stopped for a day
at Honolulu. They reached Honolulu on
Saturday, and had TO leave Monday morn
ing The citizens OF the Hawaiian capital
raised purse of $1,000. and game was ar
ranged to be played on Sunday. The citi-