The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-02-04
At THE NATIONAL CAPITOL
House Republicans Recorded in
Favor Of Sound Money.

MISUNDERSTANDING Gage Upholds the
Backbone" of the Observation-Disclosures
gresham Pitney Against District of
Columbia opolies-Developement of
the Lake Carrying Trade.
Special correspondence to the CHRONICLE.
WASHINGTON, Feb 3.-The defeat in
the House last Monday of the Teller
resolution, which had previously passed
the Senate, has cleared the political
atmosphere and sharply defined the issue
between the Republ and Democratic
parties on which the campaigns of this
fall and of 1900 will be fought. The Re-
publican party stands now as it did in
the campaign of 1896 for honest money,
sound finance, and the maintenance of
the National honor and the National
credit. The Democratic party stands
now as it did then for silver monometall-
ism, wild cat financial methods, and an
utter disregard of the National credit or
honor. Senator Smith ranged himself
on the side of the silver monometallists.
By his vote on the Teller resolution
Smith has locked arms with Bryan and
Tillman. In fact there was only one
Democrat in the Senate who voted
against the Teller resolution, Gallery of
louisiana. All the rest embraced silver
recommendation.
In the House there was an even fifty
majority against the Teller resolution.
The vote was almost entirely along party
lines. Every Republican present voted
against the resolution except two, Linney
and White of North Carolina. Mr..
Linney voted with the Democrats and
Populists for the resolution. Mr.. White,
who is the only colored man in Congress,
answered present" when his name was
called. He did not want to vote against
| the resolution, because of the soft money
sentiment in his district, and he did not
want to vote against his party on the
resolution. Every Democrat present ex-
cept two voted for the resolution, the
exceptions being Elliott of South Caro-
lima, who represents the Charleston dis
trict, and McAleer of Philadelphia, who
was elected rs a gold Democrat. Even
the New York Democrats, including
Mcclellan, whom the Palmer men sup
ported, and the sole Democrat from New
England, Fitzgerald of Boston, voted for
it; so easy is it for party pressure to
weaken political principles. OF course
all the Populists voted for the resolution
Secretary Gage finds himself the target
~
for the shafts of Democrats, Popu-
lists; and weakened Repu blicans, in
short, of the hosts of silver mono
metallists all over the country. His
armor is proof against the mudsIinging
attacks OF the Jerry Simpsons, but he is
disposed to pay attention to earnest
criticism from reputable sources. The
Secretary recognizes fully the right of
any citizen, whether in or out of office,
TO entertain and express an honest diff
ference of opinion with him on disputed
questions whether relating to finance or
any other subject. AT the same time he
is mistaken in his conviction that the
cause of honest money has everything to
gain and nothing to lose by pressing now
and continuously with all possible vigor
for the financial reforms the RepuOll-
can platform and the Administration
policy stand for. He calls the attention
of his critics to the proof afforded by the
events of the past two weeks that the
hosts of silver recommendation are ever
and always wideawake and in instant
readiness to respond to the demands
made upon them by their leaders.
Rhodeiick Dhu never had followers
more swift to obey his call than are the
followers of Teller. Such earnestness on
the one side can only be met and over
come by equal or greater earnestness on
the other side. The silver monometal-
lists are concentrating their attacks on
Secretary Gage because they recognize
in him the strong man" of the Presi-
dents official advisers. One enthusiast
tic admirer describes Secretary Gage as
the backbone of the administration"
He may not be the backbone of The adj
ministration, but the president unques-
tionabiy finds in him sturdy supporter
Of the administration financial policy.
80
The House of Representatives largely
through the efforts of Mr.. Pitney of the
Fourth District, has added a clause to
the District of Columbia appropriation
bill fixing the maximum charge for the
use of telephone at $50 year. The
TdtO Is SEduOu 1IOu ILLS QOWu EO @SO per
annum, according to the number of
telephones on each circuit. The rates
thus fixed run from 80 to rs per cent.
below the minimum charges now exact
ed by this biggest of all monopolies in
Washington, and the immediate cause
for action was the hoggishness of the
concern, which has a gold mine in the
telephone business of the District of Col
umbia. Recently the Telephone Com
pany notified all the hotels that they
must not allow their guests to use the
telephone without paying for it, and as
the guests were, in many instances,
members of Congress who desired to use
the phone for the business of themselves
and their constituents the exactions of
the company were quickly brought home
to them. Some of the Congressman
went to the trouble of investigating the
condition of the company which holds
the monopoly, and discovered that the