Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-12-10
IN A QUANDARY.
THAT IS THE POSITION OF THE
ADMINISTRATION.
How To Meet tho Deficit in Public
Expenditures Worries the Pow.
ers That Be-MOrc Discomfort OF
the Faithful-Spain's lnsincerity.
Our Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 3, 1897.
Is it the business of Congress to
legislate for the interests of the whole
people, or only to do what Mr.. Nc
Kinley thinks will be beneficial to
him and to the Republican party?
Such question would seem to adj
nit OF but one answer. Yet Mr.. Nc
Kinley is seeking the aid of Gear Reed
and Mr.. Cannon, chairman, of the
House committee on Appropriations,
to prevent the House legislating for
the whole people. Because the Ding
ley tariff law has failed to provide the
money needed to properly carry on the
government, and because he does not
dare to tell Congress 30 and ask for
for additional tariff legislation to
furnish more revenue, Mr.. Mckinley
wants to deprive the people who pay
the heavy taxes called for by the
Dingley tariff of privileges to which
they are clearly entitled. If Reed en-
ters the deal-Cannon has already
done so-no public building bill. no
matter how urgent the need, will he
allowed to 60 through the House; no
bill providing for the payment OF any
private claim against the government,
no matter how just it is nor how much
those to whom the money is due may
be suffering, will be allowed to pass,
and no river and harbor appropria-
ton will be passed. Gar Reed may
bite off more than he can chew, il he
attempts to carry out these ideas.
Neither he nor Mr.. Mckinley will be as
strong at this session as they were at
the extra session; their favors have
mostly been distributed. 1t is we'll
known that failure to get through q
public building bill for his district has
cost many Representatives their seats,
and next year the Representatives will
all be passed on by their constituents.
There has been much talk which came
to nothing about revolt against Reed
by the House, but in this case there is
likely to be sure enough revolt, If he
isn't careful, and successful one, too.
A scrapping match between two
prominent West Virginia Republicans,
Mr.. F. A. Scott, who is a member of
the Republican National Committee,
and who expects to become Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue about the
first OF January, and Judge Nathan
Golf, who was once in the Cabinet and
who has just declined Cabinet port
folio, is indicated by the announced
aspirations of both of them - a.
desire to succeed Senator Faulkner,
whose term will expire March 3, 1899.
West Virginia Democrats laugh at the
expectations of Messrs. Golf and Scott,
and say that they have no doubt OF
Democratic majority in the next legis-
lature. Meanwhile Golf and Scott are
preparing to fight each other. They
were both in Washington this week and
both saw Mr.. Mckinley. Having
already more factional party fights
than he knew what to do with, Mr..
Mckinley tried to nip this one in the
bud by asking Golf to become Attorney
General when Mr.. McKenna is
nominated for the Supreme Court.
but that gentleman declined and said
that nothing but seat in the Senate
would tempt him to give up his
present lifetime judicial position, but
he may change his mind. Senator
Elkins is at present posing as friend
of both Scott and Golf, but it is be-
lieved that it will be found when there
is show of hands that he is on the
side OF Scott.
Senator Mallory, OF Florida, has
pronounced views on Cuba which he
doesn't hesitate in announcing. He
said: "Spain's apparent willingness
to grant autonomy is but a pretext of
delay against positive action of our
government. 1t ought not to deceive
any one familiar with the record OF
Spain's oft broken pledge to the peo-
pie of that oppressed island. do not
know what action Congress will take,
and am not in the confidence of the
administration. As far back as 1858
U. S. Senator from my State ad-
vocated the independence OF Cuba,
and the arguments then made are
absolutely applicable to-day. He gave
a detailed account of the perfidy of
the Spanish government, which would
serve without modification at the
present time. The autonomy farce
has been tried before" Senator
Mallory thinks there can be only one
right settlement OF the Cuban ques-
ton, and that is the independence of
the island, and he regards it as the
duty of this country to aid in bring
ing it about, forcibly if necessary.
1t looks now as though no attempt
will be made to pass bill providing
for the retirement OF the greenbacks,
even in the House. The reason is Re.
publican opposition, which is out
spoken, especially among Repre-
sentatives from the west and middle
west. The only way bill providing
for the retirement OF the greenbacks
could be put through the House would
be to get it endorsed by caucus of
the Republicans, and then it would
not be certain, as there would probably
be enough Republicans who would re.
fuse to attend or be bound by the
caucus, in addition to the solid vote OF
the Democrats and Populists. to defeat
Al