The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1897-07-16
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Our Correspondent Talks IN Sage
Manner of Things in General
About Washington.
communicated

WASHINGTON, July IL, 1897.
"Wabbling William is the rather
uncomplimentary name that has been
applied to Mr.. Mckinley by prominent
members of his party, because of his
lightning changes of mind in connec-
ton with that special message to Con-
gress asking for authority to appoint
currency commission. One day he
would tell the prominent members of
his party who called to protest against
his sending in the message at this ses-
sion that he had made up his mind to
withhold it until the regular session
and make the recommendation in his
annual message, but the uex; day,
Khen the agents of the banking inter-
ests put the screws 10 him and remind
ed him Of his campaign promises aud
their campaign contributions, he
would announce to them that the mes
sage should 60 in. He kept this up for
several days, much to the disgust of
those who applied the epIthet of 'wab-
bling William" to him and did not IL
ually decide the matter until Secretary
Gage, the personal representative of
the bankers, had secured the assistance
of the rest of the Cabinet to help brace
his backbone up. The authority to APP
point currency commission will not
be given to Mr.. Mckinley at this ses-
sion of Congress, nor al the next. 1t
is possible that bill creating such
commission may be passed at the next
session, but it will not give Mr. Nc
kinley the choosing OF lis members.
II there is to be such a commission, the
silver Democrats will see To it that it
shall not be packed in the interest of
the single gold standard.
Mr.. {. Z. SOmers, who was Sergeant
at-Arns Of the Kentucky Senate at the
time that Gov. Bradley ordered out the
militia u preserve order. and who is
conceded 10 be good authority on the
politics Of his State, is now visiting
Washington. In reply to questions, he
said: The silver Democracy, which
Is the regular Democracy, will win 10y
25.0OO maiority. Our majority may be
much higher, for the Democrats are de-
termined 10 administer a stern rebuke
10 their enemies within the party as
well as without. The present State ad-
miDistralion has been a Iauk failure.
and the voters will take advantage OF
the coming election to give it Fitz-
simmons blow. BY 1900 there won't
be left enough Of siugle gold standard
Democracy in Kentucky 10 utilize as
historical Renaissance.
The Republican Senators and Repre-
sentatives have succeeded in conviuc-
lug Mr. Mckinley that something must
lie done for their off :e-seekiug constit-
uents, and he has promised 10 SHORTLY
issue an executive order removing a
number of desirable Federal positions
from the control of the civil service
rules. Mr. Mckinley was not hard to
convince, as he has been As anxious as
anybody to let down the bars to the
offices, but, having always posed as a
civil service reformer, he wanted Com
gress 10 order him 10 act. There are
reasooS@substantial, ,oO-why Com
gress has not done 80, aud IL not likely
10 do so; hence his agreement to act
independently.
The death of Senator Harris, of Ten
nessee, whose funeral took place in the
Senate Chamber on Saturday, removed
striking figure from the arena of
national politics, one whose ideas of
personal integrity were as oid-fashiuu-
ed aud straight-lacad as his ideas Of
party fealty, and who didn't have one
set Of ideas for public use and another
set to govern his private actions Dur
Ing his half century of public life,
lsham q. Harris was a credit to his
State aud 10 the Democratic party, and
was never guilty of an act that even
bis most bitter political enemy-he had
no personal enemies-cOuld cast suspi-
cion upon. Having said that much, it
is needless to add that Senator Harris
died poor man.
The Democratic Senators and Repre-
sentatives, who are members of the
Conference Committee on the tariff
bill, know no more of what that COM
mittee is doing than the rankest out
slider does. The Republicans informed
them as soon as the conference begun
that they wished to fight their differ
ences out among themselves without
having anybody else present, aud, of
course, the Democrats retired and will
remain out OF the conference until sent
for. The Republicans evidently regard
. Jones, of Nevada. as one OF themselves,
as he not only was not asked to retire,
but is taking very prominent part in
the conference as an able assistant to
Senator Aldrich in championing the
Interests Of the sugar trust. 1t is said
the Republicans expect to reach an
agreement by the middle of the week.
If they do, the tariff bill will become
law before the end of the week. and
Congress will at once adjourn.