Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-03-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. Mar. Is. 1891

WASHINGTON, Mar. ID, 1897.
Representative Bailey, OF Texas, had the
honor of receiving the Democratic nomin-
alton for Speaker of the House, and every
Democrat who was present at the meeting
of the House to day, voted for him. Mr.
Reed was, of course, elected, but the pres
ent House has Republican majority OF
about one hundred less than the last House.
There was more or less talk about an at
tempt being made at the Republican eau
Gus to curtail the power Of the Speaker, but
when the time came for the action, the
nerve was lacking, aud Mr.. Reed will die
tate the business Of this House just as be
did that of the last. The Democratic NOM
ination for Speaker was equivalent to an
election of the Democratic leader in the
House, and Mr. Bailey will be SO recog-
nized during the Fifty fifth Congress. He
is q comparatively young man for so
responsible a position, but during MS
service in the House his natural ability has
forced him to the front, aud no doubts are
entertained of his making good leader
and adding to the reputation he already
has.
There is much disappointment among
the Republicans over the appointments
Mckinley has made, and no end OF growl-
ing because he hasn't made more, but he
has shifted most of the responsibilities upon
the State delegations in Congress by requir-
ing them to unite upon every applicant for
Office from their States before hs will even
promise to consider them. This may be
merely a bluff to save time. Ii so, 1t IS
good one, as many of the Republican
Senators and Representatives ale known to
have endorsed as many as i've or Six men
for the same position, and it will require
time for them to settle upon one man and
to fix up things so as to save themselves at
home Many of the delegations are also
split up among themselves, and it will re-
quire time for them to unite upon
men for the offices allotted TO their State.
Meanwhile Mr.. Mckinley gains time to de-
vote to some of his other troubles including
the extra session Of Congress which con-
vened to-day.
Representative McMillin, of Tenn, has
been made Chairman of the Executive
Committee of the National Association OF
of Democratic Clubs, and will direct the
arrangements for the general celebration
by all the clubs in the Association, OF JEFF
ferson's birthday, April IL. The event is
to be celebrated in Washington by din
ner at the same hotel in which the first
celebration of Jeffersons birthday was held
in 1880, which was attended by President
Andrew Jackson, Vice-President John C.
Calhoun, the entire community and large
number of Senators and Representatives.
! Hon. VIM. Jennings Bryan has accepted an
invitation to be present, and to respond to
the toast Thomas Jefferson"
The credentials of all three of the gentle
men appointed to the Senate by the Gov
ernors of Kentucky, Oregon and Florida,
are now in Washington, but that is about
as near seat in the Senate as any of these
presenting them will get. The reasons for
not seating the Republicans from Kentucky
md Oregon, are so weighty that no serious
attempt will be made to upset them. The
| Democratic appointee of the Governor OF
Florida is thought to have valid claim to
a seat, but before it could be established
the Florida legislature will probably have
elected a Senator consequently it is not
probable that the attempt will be made.
All of the nice things said about Nc
Klnley's accessibility to callers during his
first few days in the White House, were
rather too premature. He has since adopted
rules which, excepting that they do not
shut everybody out one day in every week,
are practically the same as those made by
Mr. Cleveland, and it is now just as hard
for private individual to get an interview
| with Mr.. Mckinley as it was with Mr..
| Cleveland
If the new tariff bill is what its trainers
call conservative" measure, it would be
decidedly interesting to know what they
would call radical. Although the country
denounced and drove from power the Re-
publican party because of the high duties
imposed by the Mckinley tariff law, the
average rates of duty to be imposed by the
new tariff bill have been made higher than
| the Mckinley bill. And about the heaviest
taxation carried by the new bill is that i'm
posed upon such necessities as sugar and
clothing There may not be such plain
sailing ahead of this measure as Mr.. Nc
Kinley and his personal worshippers
expect 1t will, of course, be railroaded
through the House all right, but that il
will be materially amended before it gets
through the Senate is very probable.
Two of the numerous candidates for AS
sistant Secretary of the Navy, both Of
whom served in the Navy and are strongly
backed, have presumably been thrown down
by the exposure of ugly blots in their naval
record. They were both court martialed
one was sentenced to dismissal, and the
other suspended from the service for 8
time. They both afterwards patched up
matters in some way, and were allowed tC
resign.