Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-01-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Special Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. Is, '97.


President McKinley's cabinet. The
portfolio of War is that assigned by
gossip to Senator Hawley. The other
Senators to whom portfolios have been
tentatively offered have declined, al
though there is still a strong belief
around the capitol that Senator Sher-
man will be Secretary of State, but it
is said, not by himself, however, that
Senator Hawley would be willing to
become Secretary of War.
AT this weeks meeting of the Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations moth
ing was said about Senator Cameron's
Cuban resolution, and that gentleman
is still out of town. Senator Mills made
speech on his Cuban resolution and
Senator Bacon also advocated its
adoption in set speech, but neither
attracted more than passing attention
either in or out of Congress, which is
good evidence that the Cuban excite.
ment has all died out, not from lack of
interest, but because of the belief that
nothing will be done at this session.
Senator Allison says he doesn' know
whether the report that ex Representa-
tive Wilson, of Iowa, would be next
Secretary of Agriculture is true or not
but that he hopes it is, as he thinks Mr..
Wilson especially we'll qualified for the
position and had 50 informed Major
Mckinley when he saw him the other
day.
The most dramatic episode of the
session was the reply to an attack made
by Representative Mcguire, of Califor-
mia, in leave to print" speech in.the
Congression al Record, on Representa-
tive Johnson, of the same State. 1t
was all in connection with the Pacific
Railroad funding bill, which to the
surprise of many, was so badly defeated
by the House. In speech favorng
that bill Mr.. johnson mede very Bit
ter personal attack upon W. R. Hearst,
accusing him of unprintable things in
unprintable language. Representative
Cooper, of Wisconsin, at the time ac-
cused Mr.. johnson of cowardice for at.
tacking man who was not present,
and Mr.. Mcguire seconded the accusa
tion in his printed speech and added
slurs about Mr., Johnson s having
criminal record at his old Syracuse
IN. W home. When Mr.. johnson
arose in the House to reply to Mcguire
it was easy to see that he was excited
terribly. He began by saying: ut is
just as we'll for me to face this matter
now as latter, and meet the cowardly
insinuations made against me at the
dictation of William r. Hearst. 1t is
true that thirty years ago l was in
trouble in New York; that l was in
dicted; that went to California to rear
new home and live down the past,
but it is untrue that l went under an
assumed name" Nothing could have
been more pathetic than the story of
his struggles to regain good name,
told in voice shaking with emotion,
but there was a ring of triumph in his
voice when he told of the victory won
and how "by the blessings of God and
the help of my good wife was at last
able to pay back every dollar l owed, y
and the House gave him a round of
spontaneous applause. OF his charges
against Hearst he said: Every charge
made is capable of proof. do not
shelter myself behind my Constitu-
tional privilege. Everything l say as
a member of Congress am responsible
for as citizen, personally and tinan-
cially" " OF the charge of cowardice
against him he said: "If either the
gentleman from Wisconsin Cooper or
the gentleman from California Ma
guire) thinks am cowardly, let either
repeat to me outside this chamber what
he has said inside, and his curiosity
will be appeased. The House showed
where its sympathy was by ordering
Maguire's speech stricken from the
Record and by refusing to strike out
Johnson's speech.
Whether Speaker Reed intended to
stir up the Democrats of the House by
his selections to fill the vacancies on
the House Committees l can not say,
but this action has stirred them up is
certain, especially his putting Bailey,
of Texas, on the Committee on Rules
and Boatner, of Louisiana, on the
Committee on Ways and Means.
A very interesting question is raised
by the petition of Col. Henry A. Du
Pont and eleven members of the Della.
ware Legislature who voted for Col
Du Pont for Senator, which was pre-
sented by Senator Chandler and re-
ferred to the Senate Committee on
Privileges and Elections. The petition
asks that the Senate reconsider its de-
cision, made at the last session, that
Col. Du Pont was not entitled to seat
in the Senate, and sets forth reasons
why the petition is made.
If the Senate fails to ratify the treaty
providing for arbitrating all disputes
between this country and England al
this session, it will be more because the
Senate desires to rebuke Olney than
because of actual opposition to the