The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-10-22
Washington Letter.
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From our Regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1S.-The Platt-M cKinley
deal, first shown up in this correspondence,
has been fully proven by the actions Of the
administration, public and private, within the
past few days. 1t was to whip all adminstra
ton Republicans into line for Platt's man
Tracy, that Mr.. Mckinley had Secretary Bliss
write the gushing letter in Tracy's favor and
announce his intention to personally take
part in the New York campaign. The fate of
other national administration candidates in
New York should have warned Mr.. Mckinley.
According to private letters received from
those who move in diplomatic circles in Lon
don, Mr.. Mckinley became very much afraid
about the time the Governor of the Bank of
England made that silver blum, that his own
bluff, the international bimetallic commission,
was being seriously taken by the British gov
ernment and caused it to be unoficialy inti-
mated to Lord Salisbury that this government
had no real desire that any steps should be
taken that were likely to lead to international
bimetallism, as it twas slowly but surely paving
the way to make the single gold standard per-
manent in the United States.
Senator Germans manly open letter to the
publisher of the Baltimore SIM, offering to
withdraw from the leadership of the Demo-
cratic party of Maryland, if the SUa would
show its loyalty to the Democratic party, by
honestly supporting its candidates, and its
publisher would take the management of the
present campaign, has been the most absorbing
topic of conversation in Washington since it
was published. Inasmuch as the Sun has claim
ed Senator German to be the only obstruc-
ton to its support of the nominations of the
Democratic party in Maryland, Senator Cor
mans offer has placed it where it must present
some better excuse for ignoring the offer than
it hes yet done, or run the risk of losing the
confidence of many Democrats. Democrat
tic sentiment in Washington is practically
unanimously on the side of Senator German
in this controversy. In that open letter Sen
ator German thus defines his attitude towards
the Civil Service Law: Il am unalterably OPP
posed, except i'll judicial places, to life tenure
of Office. 1t is Incompatible with our free III
situations. l believe that the highest standard
for admission to the Civil Service should be
honest and capacity. When appointed, per-
sons IN public employ should be free from
political assessment, but | am unalterably OPP
posed TO any rule which will prevent the people
vt stated and ii led periods from changing their
public servants"
- tis no longer q secretIhat Gen. Fitz Lee,
who has been much before the public siuee he
became our Consul Geirs raj TO Cuba. viii be
candidate for the seat NOW heid BIZ Senator
Martin--It sl.ss A z.,sssicrssoOSs-sn nat Ut
Lee viii, when BE returns from Gups probably
early nextyear, begin q persoHaf tansaa<s Tor
the Senatorship, VII Oh lie intends shall cover
the entire State of Virginia, even to its re-
hottest corners.
The administration fully recognizes the dam
Of I, At
fiscal year. added to that which is being piled
up during the current fiscal year, and at the
last Cabinet meeting twas determined that the
departmental estimates for appropriations to
be submitted to the coming session OF Congress
should be cut down as low possible, i'll ORDER
to try to get the expenditures down to the re-
ceipts of the government This is confirmation
of the arguments presented by prominent
Democrats while the tariff bill was before Con-
gress that the bill would not raise sufficient
revenue.
No one in administration circles has denied
the statement that Attorney General Mckenna
is to have the vacancy made by the retirement
of Justice Field from the United States Su-
preme Court, on December LIST, although the e
is one special and particular reason why Mr..
McKenua should never sit on the Supreme
Court he is too friendly t. the big corpora
tions this was known before he came to Wash
ington, but additional proof was given by his
avdity to ratify the bargain made under the
Cleveland administration for the sale of the
Union Pacific Railroad to the huntington re-
organization committee, under conditions
which practically shut out competition in the
bidding. An attempt is now being made to
get Mr.. Mckinley to interpose his authority
in some way to stop the sale of the Union
Pacific at least until the conditions of the sale
can be changed so as to make them as fair to
one set of bidders to another, but there
seems to be some doubt of his authority and
more of his inclination to interfere, after Boss
Hanna had told the Huntington ring that the
sale should be put through under the Old
agreement, although the government will lose
millions of dollars by the sale under the pre-
sent conditions.