El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-02-12
HE HAS won His Way.
Praise For Vice President Ste
venSOn.
THE LATEST WAVE OF REFORM.
An Interesting Bit of Political Maneuver-
ing-The Situation In Ohio-A Great OPP
portunity For the New Secretary of the
Treasury-Reorganized Finance.

Treasury-Reorganized Finance.
WASHINGTON, Feb. S. Special Gen
eral Stevenson has shown the national cap
ital that a vice president can be something
after all. Mr.. Stevenson has not been OF
any political Importance in the govern
ment A vice president never is. 1t is one
of the traditions of our capital that vice
president is a sort of fifth wheel to the
wagon and that he must not try to be ac-
tive or influential. But General Stevenson
has done better than this. He has made
himself in many respects the first gentle
man of the Capital City. 1t is safe to say
that during the last four years none other
has been as popular as he with all sorts
and conditions of public men, and with
the women too. He has been an expo
nent of fine manners and gracious conduct
in this capital He has given the lie to
the old idea that American public men,
especially western public men, are wont
to be rough and uncouth. Mr.. Stevenson
has won his way into all hearts by his tact
and affability.
Dignity and Graciousness.
Among senators Mr.. Stevenson is
known as one of the best presiding officers
that body has had in recent years. 1t is
not an easy post to fill. The rules of the
senate are simple enough, but there are so
so many unwritten laws which are as val
id as the written ones, so many fine points
of detail and etiquette for which the SEN
ate, as whole, is great stickler, that the
presiding officer who is new at the bust
ness never quite knows when he is right
and when he is wrong. But General Ste
venson took most kindly to the duties of
his office. He has had rare dignity, firm
ness and self control He will be long re-
memhcrcd as n presiding officer who won
the commentator of every senator, with
out respect to party.
The employees of the senate and house
are certainly in hard luck. Some months
ago the senate shut down upon smoking
in the north wing of the capitol. 1t was
permitted in committee rooms and in the
senator's cloak rooms, of course, but not
in any of the paSSageways or corridors.
The doOrkeepers and other employees who
have no committee rooms to retire to used
to go over to the house end and scrape &c
quaintance with their colleagues there
while enjoying their after luncheon cigars.
Now Speaker Reed issues an order cutting
off all smoking at that end of the big state
house, and the poor employees have to step
outdoors or go without their smoke. No
one seems to know just why these orders
We're issued. Certainly the amount of
smoking that was INDUCED in never both
cred any one at either end of the capitol
But when wave of reform gets started it
is like any other epidemic in that there is
no telling where it is going to stop.
Bit of Politics.
Senator Sherman told me the other day
he would not resign his place in the senate
till after his nomination as secretary of
state had been officially sent in by Presi-
dent Mckinley. This means that the sen
ator will send his resignation to the COVER
nor of his state, MI Bushnell, March 5.
Right here comes in very interesting bit
of political maneuvering. Although Sen
ator Sherman has informed Governor
Bushnell by letter of his intention to re-
sign on that day, Governor Bushnell, for
reasons of his own, concludes to await de-
He says he does not know
but what Mr.. Sherman will change his
mind meanwhile and conclude to remain
in the senate. Therefore he, the governor,
does not think it necessary for him to dis
turb himself very much about filling n
which has not yet been created,
and which may never be. OF course all
this fine maneuvering has to do with Mr.
Hanna 5 candidacy for the senate and Gov
arnOr Bushnell's unwillingness to appoint
him. Some of the governor S friends think
Mr.. Sherman will, after all, conclude to
remain in the senate when he sees that
the senator himself says he has decided to
go into the cabinet, has accepted the secre-
5aryship of state, and that he will take it
no matter what happens. As matter of
act, Governor Bushenell and his friends
want Mr.. Sherman to go into the cabinet,
md therefore are keeping very quiet as to
heir intentions concerning the vacancy.
AS Good, if Not Better.
Miss Stahlnaker, who passed civil
service examination for translator in the
var department and was refused the ap.
continent by the officials because she was
woman, has suddenly become famous
'ersonage. She now gets one of the lar
,est individual mails received in Washing |
on. Thousands of men and women all |
'ver the country are writing to her ex
PRESSING thcir sympathy and their indigna- |
ion as we'll that woman who can PASS
n examination in the translation of four |
II five modern languages should be turned |
own by some brute of n man just because
he is a woman. Miss Stahlnaker is in |
tied to deliver lectures, to write address
s, to send her photograph, to give her au
ograph, and so on. She is paying the |
enalty of sudden fame in having so many |
etters to answCF that she docs not know |
What to do with them. But the incident |
hows how deep is the feeling in his coun- |
~ that in these modern times IL woman |
5 just good man for anything, if |
lot little better
An old senator told me the other day |
hat Lyman J. Gage, who is to be Presi- |
ent McKinley's secretary of the treasury,
ad one of the greatest opportunities to
Tin fame for himself cabinet officer has
ad in many years. 1T is notorious to cv-
~ ONE said this senator, that during
he coming four years the finances of the
overnment are to be reorganized. We
aust build upon a different basis. We |
lust take up the currency, and the bank
ng system, and the gold reserve, and all
hesc things and rcorganize them COM
letely. Mr.. Gage Will be right in the
hick of all this He Will be the leading
IAN of the drama if he has the right stuff
1 him. And, if he have force and genu
he ability, he will he able to make such Il
,putatiOn in the treasury as that which
as made by Alexander Hamilton, who
evised our financial systcm by Mr.
base, who carried us so far through the
'ying days of the war, and by Mr.. Sher-
IAN, who resumed specie payments 1t is
n opportunity such as comes to few men,
nd L believe Mr.. Gage is strong enough
} make the most of it. At any rate,
nall watch him with the kecnest inter
st.. WALTER WELLMAN