Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-02-11
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IUIH UuE AtcB uls1I OOIAOSP011uo14V'I
WASHINGTON. Feb. 8. 1S9l

w ACf11N04ON3 Cbs o, AScfse
Senator Tillman has got out his pitch
FORK again, and be is going to use it if the
Republicans try to throw out the electoral
vote of South Carolina on the protest that
is going to be made by Murray, the negro
member of the House from that State when
the House and Senate meet this week in
joint session to count the electoral votes.
Senator Tillman said on the subject: If
Mckinley is going to be inaugurated on the
4th of March, the Joint Convention has got
to count the vote OF South Carolina. Ii the
Republican party wants to make an attack
on the constitution of the State, it must
make it on some other ground OF in some
other manner than by endeavoriDg to pre-
vent the counting of the vote. wish to
go further and express my preference FOX
seeing Mr. Mckinley President rather than
to see the Presidential function exercised
by Secretary Olney, as it will be after the
4th of March, if the effort is made to deny
South Carolina the right to vote" The
following significant language was used by
Representative Mccall, of Mass, who is a
Republican, and Chairman of the Election
Committee 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 portion of the
population from voting, but it seems to be
the illiterate ones who are DISTINGUISHED.
There is a question in the minds of many
intelligent men whether this is not q wise
plan if constitutionally enforced and carried
out according to law. A full generation
has passed since the colOred men were en-
franchised, 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 Senators
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 could only have been
done by protracted fight which would
have resulted in preventing action by the
Senate upon other legislation.
Senator Daniel has made point against
the arbitration treaty which may result in
arraying the Silver Senators solidly against
Its ratification. The point is that if the
of silver while that treaty was in force,
England could put in claim for the differ
eDce between the value of principal and
interest of American debts held in England,
under the new system of double standard
and under the present single gold standard,
and if majority of the arbitratOrs hap
pened to be gold men would probably get
a decision in favor of the claim.
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 go hOnored were
Representatives Swanson, of Virginia,
Kendall, OF Kentucky. and Price and
Boatner, of La. Tom Watson's contest
has been decided by a 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 ont
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 Post has been having
fun with Secretary Morton. It's latest hit
is too good to be overlooked: 8 The Post is
under obligations to Hon. j. Sterling Morton
for bis most valuable report on Tape
" orms of Poultry By the keen employ
ment of that twin screw and double ex
pansion logic for which the head of the
Agricultural Department is so noted, the
WRITER'S able oshow that this pest which is
annoying to farmers and adding to their
mortgages is due directly to the constant
agitation of the financial question by irres-
ponsible 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 a break in the ranks
again after the 4th of March, either on ac-
count of no successor being selected to
Senator Blackburn or because of dead
lock in one or more States which have not
yet elected Senators.