The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-08
Gossip at
the Capital


Special Correspondence of The Tribune.
Washington, June Z.
The first gun in the next Republican
gubernator1al campaign in Pennsylvania
Will bN fired Immediately after the meet
ing the state convention this year, by
Colone William A. Stone, of Allegheny.
In fact he is the only candidate for that
high honor who has done any firing at
all thus far. A few weeks ago he fired
shot or two at Reading, when the state
encampment of the American Protective
association was held in that city. The
other candidates are still in ambush, but
are expected to get out into the open
field soon after Colonel Stones real gun
is fired and the battle Is on in earnest.
1t is expected that there will be lively
firing all along the line before the leaves
begin falling this year, and the campaign
Will naturally increase in bitterness until
the last gun is fired next summer, when
the general with the largest number of
delegates dangling at his belt will be de-
clared the winner At this distance 1t is
rather difficult to prophesy who will be
the hero Of the coming skirmish between
the Republican forces.
The friends of the big Allegheny con-
gresham, of course, are full of hope, and
expect to see him win the fight easily.
There are others, however, who are just
suit of the battle depends largely upon
what position Senator Quay takes. Colo
mel Stones friends in Washingto ton, as well
as throughout the state of Pennsylvania
are claiming that the "Old Mans" choice
Is the Allegheny congressman. Other Re-
publicans deny this assertion. They say
that Senator Quay cannot afford to take
a hand in the gubernatorial fight for the
reason that 1t might endanger his re-eec-
| tion to the senate. A legislature which
will choose his successor in the United
States senate will be chosen at the same
time the governor Is elected. From the
looks of things thus far in advance of the
gubernatorial nomination there will be
several candidates from all parts of the
state for that honor. Some of the can
didates already mentioned will doubt
less be able to capture a good many dele
gates-enough, possibly, to prevent Col
onel stones nomination if they can COM
bine on any particular candidate In
| making their fight for gubernatorial dele
gates many of their friends will naturally
| be nominated for the Legislature. If Sen
| ator Quay should become involved in the
| family row over the gubernatoriaI nomi-
nation, he Is bound to make enemies
| which may eventually defeat his re-elec-
tion to the senate. For this reason the
| friends of the senator hope ne will keep
| his hands out of the gubernatorial fight.
| 1t is also argued by some Republicans
who think more of party than they do of
factional success, that If Senator Quay
should force any particular candidate on
| the convention it will result in bolt
which may finally end in the defeat of the
| Republican candidate for governor just
as in 1890. OF course, such an event is
scarcely among the possibilities next year,
| but 1t is nevertheless a contingency
| which might arise.
| For forehandedness Secretary of the
| Commonwealth Reeder is certainly enti-
| tied to passing notice. At present he
| holds the best paying political position in
| Pennsylvania. His office is not elective,
and the people have little or nothing much
| to say about his appointment The Of
flee which he now holds is worth between
| $4,000 and $4,000 per year-nearly, If not
| altogether, double that paid the chief ex-
| ecutive, through whom the appointment
| Is made. General Reeder knows a good
| thing when he sees it, and is believed 10
want more of it. Not many weeks ago he
| visited Senator Quay in Washington with
a view of securing the latter's influence
| for his reappointment as secretary of the
| commonwealth under the EeXt Republi-
| can governor. 1t is understood that Sem
ator Quay didnt give General Reeder any
particular satisfaction.
The Japanese minister In Washington
| is at great pains to state that his govern
| ment has no intention of getting into
| war with Hawaii over the refusal of the
/ little republic to admit to the islands the
| riff-raff of the population Of the Japa-
nese empire. His eagerness to produce
this impression causes diplomats to smile,
| for 1t seems to be understood that II was
the original intention of Japan to provoke
a war with Hawaii and forcibly occupy
the islands. The United States. however,
stands in position which would almost
inevitably draw this government into any
| such affair, fact well known to Presi-
dent Dole when he defantly told the Jap
anese minister at Honolulu to go back
home and tell his emperor to do his worst
if he did not like the Hawaiian immigra-
! tion laws. This is not the first time that
President Dole has assumed a warlike
| attitude in dealing with nations that could
swallow his republic at a bite. 1t is a
part Of the unwritten and hitherto untold
| history of the early negotiations between
| the Cleveland administration and the
| young Hawaiian republic that President
Dole refused positively to receive an Of
ficial visit from Minister Willis when
that official first went to Honolulu armed
with instructions looking to the rein
statement of Queen LII and the re-estab-
| lishment of the monarchial government,
and he bluntly told Willis that II he (Wl-
lfs) insisted on reading the Cleveland in
structons II would lead to declaration
of war against the United States.
President Dole Rad received secret in
formation a few hours before Minister
Willis visit as TO what he might expect,
and he was prepared for the emergency.
Frank Hastings, the Hawaiian secretary,
whose funeral occurred in Washington
yesterday, is said to have paid 5000 fol-
the information which he conveyed to
President Dole. Mr. Dole fully under
stands that In event OF any such declara-
tion he would have plenty OF backing. The
result was that WilHs decided TO walt
for further instructions from Washington
before acting, and the delay resulted in
the most sensational incident OF the
Cleveland administration, the history OF