The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-08
Representative Overstreet Tells His
Friends in Washingtol What He
Learned ON a visit to His Home.
PLACE SEEKING A GOOD MAN
MIR. OVERSTREET MAY BE CHAIRMAN
OF CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE.
Poor Outlook for the Immigration Bill
Reed, Mason and Others on the
Annexation of Hawaii.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Representative
Overstreet fresh from contact with the
people of central Indiana, is going about
cheering the hearts of his Republican
friends with the confident assertion that
the sound-money sentiment is 80 per cent.
stronger than it was at the end of the cam
paign of 1896 in the localities that he has
lately visited, and that, from all he can
learn, the same proportion will hold good
throughout Indiana. He cannot find that
silver monometallsm has gained anywhere.
but on the contrary, he discovers that it is
losing friends on every hand. 1t has been
particularly gratifying to him to find the
sound-money pulse running so strong in In
dianapoIis, and he points to the fact as il
Illustrating what can be done by aggressive
work
Mr.. OVerStreet was surprised on his return
to Washington to learn that he was being
industriously pushed for secretary of the
national congressional committee, and he
is informed that he can have the place if
he will accept it. Mr. Overstreet endeared
himself to the practical party workers on
the committee two years ago by his indus
try, his display of political sagacity and
his general helpfulness, and leading mem
| bers of the committee are anxious to avail
| themselves of his talents by moving him
into position where he can put them to an
enlarged use. Mr.. Overstreet is reluctant
to undertake the duties of secretary of the
national committee. He has promised to let
his friends know in a few days whether he
thinks he can afford to stand for the place.
They are pressing him hard.
The outlook for the immigration bill has
taken on new phase. When the educa-
tonal test bill passed the Senate a few
week ago Speaker Reed promised its friends
that it might have prompt consideration by
the House as soon as the pending appro-
priations bill were disposed of and since
a similar bill passed a year ago in the
House by a vote of nearly ten to one, it
looked as if the measure was now about
as good as passed. But the opposition that
has arisen, among the German voters par
tcuarly, is so strong that at least fifteen
Republican representatives have been to
Speaker Reed to say that they could not
be reelected if they should now vote for
this bill. Mr.. Reed naturally does not de-
sire to sacrifice that number of seats in
the next House. These representatives, and
they are mostly from the Northwest, say
their position is exceedingly embarrassing.
If the bill should come up they could not,
in view of the platform declarations of the
Republican party and the inaugural address
of the President, vote against it, and yet
to vote for it in the face of hundreds of
German petitions, would be periious They
ask that as a compromise the measure be
allowed to go over to the short session, aft
er the elections are over, when they will
support it.
The opposition of the Germans to the edu-
cational test is regarded by friends of the
measure as extraordinary in view of the
fact that less than 1 per cent. of the pres
ent German immigration would be affected
by it. The Irsh who would be considerably
more affected are saying almost nothing.
1t is said that misapprehension exists in
certain quarters that the bill requires the
reading in English instead of the intend-'
ing immigrants own language and that this
mistake accounts for many of the sigma
lures in opposition now pouring in. The
ton of the two German steamship lines,
which convey most of the Mediterranean
immigrants, is also assigned as an occasion
of the present outburst. They are large
advertisers in the German newspapers.
Speaker Reed now tells both sides that he
is taking the matter under advisement and
| friends of the measure fear that unless very
earnest action is taken at once the subject
will be put over to the December session.
Senator Mason of Illinois, is understood
to have jumped the fence on Hawaii, and
he is scheduled to make public declaration
! of the fact in q speech on Cuba tomorrow.
He will take the ground that it is incon-
sistent in this administration to be reach
ing out 1000 miles into the Pacific ocean to
take in few little islands, and at the same
time to turn it's back on Cuba" The motto
| Of the Illinois senator is Cuba first and
| Hawaii afterwards"
| In this connection it may be stated that
Speaker Reed has not changed front on
| Hawaii, and that his position is the same
to-day as it has been from the first and
as it has been stated in dispatches to the
| Journal. He does not think it wise
to annex Hawaii, but he will not actively
| oppose the passage of an annexation reso-
luton or bilL if one should be brought be-
| fore the House. This explanation is made
necessary on account of published state
ment that he had gone over soul and body
to the side of annexation and was desrous
| of having the Senate abandon the treaty so
| that he might have a chance to help Ha-
| Waiian resolution through the House. The
| story almost threw the annexationists in
| the Senate off their feet, but they were
thoughtful enough to inquire into its truth
fulness before forming a new line of battle
on the theory that Speaker Reed was going
to take off his coat for Hawaii.
Senators Gray Of Delaware Lindsay of
| Kentucky and Caffery of Louisiana, are be-
ing accused this afternoon of having re-
| ceived letters from their great and good
friend, Grover Cleveland, asking them to
buckle down and try to defeat the Hawaiian
treaty They do not deny that the ex-Presi-
dent has corresponded with them on the
subject. They simply decline to discuss the
matter.
| Representative Coverings amendment to
| the Constitution to give Congress the power
| to regulate the hours of labor in the States,
stands a better chance of adoption than
most proposals OF the kind. If the labor
union element of the country once became
aroused on this subject, as it is quite easy
to zee how it might, it would be entirely
| possible to secure two-thirds vote in both
! houses OF Congress. That, at least is the
| prevailing opinion here. The contest would
then come in getting majority in the Leg
islatures OF three-fourths of the States bus
| as there are aggressive labor organizations
with considerable power in every part Of the