The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-02-12

rom our Regular Correspondent.

Washington Letter.
| From our Regular Correspondent.
| WASHINGTON, Fc; ruary S.-Senatur Tilman
has got out his ptchfork again, and he is going
| to use il if the Republicans try to throw out
the electoral vote of South Carolina on the pre-
| test that is going 20 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. Sen
| ator Tillman said on the subject: IF AIckin-
| ley is going TO be inauguratCd on the ith of
| March, the Joint convention has got to court
| the vote of South Carolina. If the Republican
| party wants to make an attack on the conSti-
| tuition of the State, it must make it on some
| other ground or i'll some other manner than by
| endeavoIing To prevent the counting of her
| vote. | wish 10 go further and express my pre-
| ference for seeing Mr.. Mckinley President
| rather than 10 see the Presidential function eX-
| ercised by Secretary Olney, as it will he after
| TIE 18th of March, If the effort is made to deny
South Carolina the right TO vote" The follow
| ing significant language was used by Repre-
| sentative Mccall, of Massachusetts. who is
Republican and Chairman of the Election Con-
| mitIee, which has charge of the contested eloc-
ton cases from South Carolina in this Cor
gress: 1T is true, apparently. that the election
| a large proportion from voting, but t seems to
be the illiteratc ones who are disfranchised
There is question in the'minds of many intel
ligent men whether this is not wise plan if
constitutionalIy enforced and carried out ac-
cordng to law. full generation has passed
since the colored men were cnfranchised, and
l do not know how long they can expect us TO
coddle them and fight to secure their electoral
,l,n,,
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 Sen
ate upon other legislation.
Senator Daniel has made point against the
arbitration treaty which may result in array
ing the silver Senators soldly against its ratf-
cation. The point is that if the United States
should adopt the free coinage of silver while
that treaty was in force, England could put in
a claim for the difference between the value of
principal and interest of American debts held
in England, under new system of double
standard and under the present single gold
standard and if majority of the arbitratOrs
happened To he gold men would probably get
a decision in favor of the claim.
a marked feature of the contested election
cases decided last week by the House was that
the Democrats who held the seats were upheld
by the Republican majority. The Democrats
so honOred were Representatives Swanson, of
Virginia; Kendall, of Kentucky, and Price and
Boatner, of Louisiana. 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 out Canadian agricultural
products, but it looks as though they would
just AS well have remained at home so far as
accomplishing anything goes. The Republi-
cans have already agreed to schedule of rates
on agricultural products that raises the duties
to such an extent that it will bar our Canadian
products.
The Washington Post has been having fun
with Secretary Morton. Its latest hit is too gCCd
to be overlooked: THE Post is under oblil a.
valuable report on Tape Worms of Poultry
By the keen employment of that twin screw
and double expansion logic for which he head
of the Agricultural Department is so noted, the
writer is able to show that this pest which is
annoying to farmers and adding TO their mott
cages is due directly to the constant agitation
of the financial question by irresponsible per-
soDs who do not agree with the present admin
istration.
The swearing in of Senator kcnney. of Della
ware, which the most radical of the Republicans
had not the cheek to object TO, after the Com
mittee on elections had refused to reopen the
Dupont claim, makes Il full Senate of ninety
members. There will probably be break in
the ranks again after the 4th of March, either J
on account of no successor being selected to
Senator Blackburn or because of deadlock in
one or more States which have not yet elected |
Senator'S