The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-10-29
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent

OF zen. Tracy, the only regular repub-
hcan candidate for Mayor of New
York City, is now known to all the
world, as it was to your correspondent
when he told your readers that such
was the erase. Secretary Bliss had the
support of President Mckinley when
ne wrote that strong letter endorsing
Gen. Tracy and asking every republi-
can to vote for him, as he has the sup
port OF the President in going to New
York Tor the purpose of registering
and OF ascertaining in what manner
he can best help Gen. Tracy and the
regular republican ticket, and he will
nave that support in whatever he NAV
DO In the campaign President Nc
Kinley does not intend to write per
sonal letter for use in New York, any
more than one for use in Ohio, not be-
cause OF any lack of sympathy with
the republicans engaged in the cam
paign in both places, but because he
doesn't think that the President of the
United States should personally en-
gage IN political campaign, but he
is gong to Ohio to cast his te Cor
the republican ticket, and it is no
secret that he will think moro of every
republican voter in any state who fol-
lows his example. There is nothing
surprising in all this; it would have
been surprising TO those who know
the man, had President McKin-
ley indicated any intention OF acting
otherwise.
Nothing but commentator has
been heard of President McKinley's
selection OF Hon. John A. Kasson, of
Iowa, to be a Special Commissioner of
the U. s., with plenary powers to ne
gotiate reciprocity treaties with other
| nments, in accordance with the
provisions of the Dingley tariff act.
Mr.. Kasson served in Congress for
many years, where, as member of
the House Ways and Means Commit
tee, he acquired valuable experience,
and his diplomatic career has been
brilliant and enviable. He was first
Minister to Austria, ther Minister to
Germany and later U. S. Commission
er to the Berlin conference, which ar
ranged the present government of
Samoa. The country may rest as
sured that Mr.. Kasson will see that its
interests are properly taken care of in
any reciprocity treaty he negotiates.
Negotiations with France have been
under way sometime, and that country
Is likely to have the honor of the first
reciprocity treaty under the Dingley
law. Austria and Germany have Civ
en- notice of their intentions to open
negotiations for a similar treaty.
There was no surprise at the publ
cation of the tender of Justice Fields
resignation from the U. S. Supreme
Court, and of President Mckinley s
acceptance thereof, to take effect Dec.
l, 1897. The fact is generally known
that Justice Field would have retired
during the last administration-he has
been eligible for retirement under the
age limit nearly eleven years-but for
his disinclinalion to give Mr.. Cleve-
land an opportunity to appoint his
successor, and he announced last year
to his friends his intention to retire
early in the present administration.
His health is quite feeble at this time.
There seems to be little doubt that
Attorney General McKenna will be
named for the vacancy as soon as Con-
gress meets.
Senator Gorman's latest bluff, offer
ing to withdraw as q candidated for
reelection and to give up the leader
ship of the Maryland democrats, if the
publisher of TIE Baltimore Sun would
agree to take the leadership and stop
| fighting the German machine, is so
| transparent that it has furnished
nothing but amusement for the repub-
| licans.. German knows that the next
Maryland legislature is almost bound
to be republican, and he is anxious to
unload the responsibility for defeat on
somebody, and he preferred Mr.. Abel,
OF the Sun, who has for years been his
most influential enemy inside the
democratic party, to anybody else.
Mr.. Abel has been fighting Gormanism
too long to be caught by such
scheme; he knows as we'll as German
does that democratic defeat is well
nigh certain, and he wishes his paper
to share in the credit for to bring
about that defeat, this year, just as it
did in the carrying of the state for
Mckinley and Hobart last year. Mr.
German has been credited with much
political shrewdness, but he will have
to get up better scheme or many will
think that he has been much overrat-
ed in the past.
| Those who started that story about