The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-02-12
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGToN ID. c., February Sth.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., February Sth.
Mr. EDIToH:-Senator Tillman has got
out his pitchfork again. and he is goingto
use it if the republicans try to throw out
the electoral vote of South Carolina on
the protest that it is going to be made by
Murray the negro member of the House
from that State, when the House and Sen
ate meet this week in joint session to count
the electoral votes. Senator TillmaE said
on the subject: IF Mckinley is going to
be inauguratcd on the 4th of March, the
Joint Convention has got to count the vote
of South Carolina. If the republican par
tv wants to make an attack on the constl-
tuition of the state it must make it on some
other ground or in some other manner
than by endcavoring to prevent the count
ing of her vote | wish to go further anu
express my preference for seeing Mr. Nc
Kinley President rather than to see the
Presidential function exercised by Secrc-
tary Olney, as it will he after the 4th OF
March, if the effort is made to deny South
Carolina the right to vote The follow
ing significant language was used by Rep
resentative Mccall, of Massachusetts, who
is IA republican and Chairman of the Flee
ton comittee which has charge of the CON
tested election cases from South Carolina
in this Congress: 1T is true, apparently,
that the election laws and constitution of
South Carolina disbar large proportion
of the population from voting, but it seems
to be the :llitcratc ones who are disfran
chiscd. There is a question in the minds
of many intelligent men whether this is
not a wise plan if constitutionally enforced
and carried out according to law. A full
generation has passed since the colored
men were cnfranchised, and do not know
how long they can expect us to coddle
them and fight to secure their electoral
rights, while they neglect to learn to read
and write
Nobody was surprised when the Sena
tors who have been pushing the Nicaragua
Canal Bill decided to give up the fight.
At no time during the present session has
the bill had the slightest chance of getting
through the House. even if passed by the
Senate 1t could have been passed by the
Senate notwithstanding the protests of
Nicaragua. but it coull only have been
done by Il protracted fight which would
have resulted in preventing action by the
Senate upon other legislation.
Senator Daniel has made a point against
<bo .,.l,; -
arraying the silver senators solidly against
its ratification. The point is that if the
United States should adopt the free coin
age of silver while that treaty was in
force, England could put in a claim for
the difference between the value of princi-
pal and interest of American debts held
in England, under the new system Of Il
double standard and under the present
single gold standard, and if a majority of
the arbitrators happened to be gold men
would probably get a decision in favor of
the claim.
A marked feature of the contested cleo
ton cases decided last week by the House
was that the democrats who held the seats
were upheld by the republican majority.
The democrats so honored were Repre-
sentatives Swanson, of Virginia: Kendall.
of Kentucky, and Price and Boatner, of
Louisiana. Tom Watson's contest has
been decided by committee against him
and in favor of Representative Black, and
will this week be decided the same way
by the House.
Canada has sent two members of its
ministry to Washington to offer liberal
trade concessions in exchange for duties
in the new tariff bill that will not shut out
Canadian agricultural products, but it
looks as though they would just as well
have remained at home so far as accom-
plishing anything goes. The republicans
have already agreed to schedule of rates
on agricultural products that raises the
duties to such an extent that it will bar
out Canadian products.
The Washington Pos, has been having
fun with Secretary Morton. Its latest hit
is too good to be overlooked 1.-The Pos
is under obligations to Hon. J. Sterling
Morton for his most valuable report on
'Tape-Worms of Poultry. By the keen
employment of that twin screw and dou-
BILE expar sion logic for which the head of
the Agricultural Department is so noted
the writer is able to show that this pest
which is annoying to farmers and adding
to their mortgages is due directly to the
constan, agitation of the financial ques-
ton by irresponsible persons who do not
agree with the present administration
The swearing in of Senator kenney, of
Delaware which the most radical of the
republicans had not the cheek to object to,
after the Committee on elections had re-
fused to reopen the DUPONT claim, makes
full Senate of ninety members. There
will probably be break in the ranks again
after the 4th of March, either on account
of no successor being selected to Senator
Blackburn or because of a deadlock in
one or more states which have not vet
elected Senators
N