The times., 1898-12-10
HoLtT1cAL GOSSIP.


elect Theodore Roosevelt are not getting
leaders had anticipated. Col. Roosevelt is
| manifesting an Independence which is, to
put 1t mildly. very annoying to the man
ayers of the Republican organization of
the Empire State. lie has, according to
current reports, ignored the recommenda-
tions of the organization regarding ap-
pointments, and there is more or less
| trouble in the Republican camp in conse-
| quence. Col. Roosevelt has decided, 1t Is
said, on several appointments which are
| inimical to the machine. The most i'm
portant appointment that Gov. Roosevelt
| will have to make will be to fill a vacancy
| on the Supreme Court bench of the State.
In the recent campaign in New York the
| judicial issue" was quite prominent. Mr.
| Croker had refused denomination to
Judge DAILY because he had declined to
make certain appointments requested by
the Tammany organization. The Repub-
| licans nominated DAILY at the request OF
| the bar association, and while he was de-
| feated at the polls Col. Roosevelt thinks
| that Daily was an important factor In his
| campaign, and he Is therefore anxious TO
make an acknowledgment, of that fact by
| appointing DAILY TO the first vacancy on
the bench that is at his disposal. The or
| ganization, however. does not think that
| Col Roosevelt should appoint DAILY. 1t
was all right in the campaign to protest
against the turning down of DAILY by Tam
many, but the Republican leaders think
| that ii will be mistake for Roosevelt to
give him a judicial appointment now when
there are good Republicans out of job.
| Roosevelt is likely TO have his own way,
and 1t is not believed that Mr.. Platt or
his organization will make very vigor-
Gus protest against it. They do not intend
to have an open rupture with Col. Roose-
welt at the beginning of his administra-
ton If 1t can be avoided.
| The change in the appearance and man.
ner of Senator Vest since the last ses-
sion of Congress has caused considerable
| comment on the part of those who are
| familiar with the statesman from Sweet
| Springs, Mo. In the first place. Senator
| Vest has allowed his whiskers TO grow,
| and in the second place he is taking a
| persistently active part in current legis-
lation. Since Monday he has been very
| much in evidence, with bills, resolutions
| and protests.
The change in the senator's appearance
| caused by his whiskers was so great that
| hardly anyone recognized him when he
| entered the Senate chamber and took his
| seat at the side of Senator Morgan last
| Monday The men in the press gallery
| strained their eyes and wondered, but il
| was some time before they could make
| out that the figure was that of an old
acquaintance. In his new makeup the
senator greatly resembles former Secre-
| tary Sherman. / uf
The change in Senator Vests manner
| on the floor is evennmor marked. Since
the opening of Congress he has been On
the alert. and from. an apparently list
| less invalid he has developed into an anti
| expansion leader with an evident deter
mnation to make things interesting. He
has lost no opportunity since Monday TO
make his presence felt
One of those bright bits OF repartee for
which Speaker Reed is famous is being
told in diplomatic circles with considera-
bic relish. and here is the occasion of it,
Sir Wilfrid Laurier and other Canadian
members of the Joint High Arbitration
| Commission together with their wives
| We're the guests, OF Mr.. and Mrs. Dingley
| one day this week on a tour of the Capt-
| tol building. and Speaker Reed was urged
| to make use of himself as a sort of intiu-
| ential escort. which ne willingly consent
| ed TO do, after having transferred the
| gavel to q trusted deputy in the House.
| Under the direction of Mr.. Reed the dis
| tinguished party explored the small cor
| ners of the building. paused before the
| various points of interest and, after hay-
| ing attracted a vast deal of attention from
the public, the messengers and the guides
who saw fat fees forfeited them by the
unwonted conduct of the Speaker-it final
ly ended its wanderings at the door of the
House wing dining room, where a dinner
was to be served at the expense OF MIR
! Dingley.
The visitors from Canada had been duly
impressed with the Importance of MIR
Reed, his influence with doors not gener-
| ally opened for free inspection of the in
ner precincts, and thus it was that when
| the party was obliged to stand for five
| minutes or more just within the doors OF
the dining room because or some delay
In the arrangement of chairs and tables
| Sir Wilfrid turned TO Speaker Reed and
| remarked:
Your authority here, Mr.. Reed, doesn't
seem to be absolute
| "Oh, it isn't hair trigger. but It will be
all right in a minute drawled the Speak
| er in his unruffied way, which straight
way put the party in the best of humor
and compensated it for the delay.
|
The Iowa senatorial fight is creating
considerable gossip in Congressional
circles, or, perhaps it would be more
correct to say, the prospective fight.
because 1t is hardly ripe. Singu-
larly enough the men who will
figure most prominently in the contest
| are, with the exception of one, MEN,
bers of Congress now, being Col Hep
burn, Major Lacey, Mr. Henderson. and
George d. Perkins. who is the one ex-
| ception, and the seat of Senator Gear is
| the one coveted.
None of these gentlemen named has
declared himself openly, but each is
| understood to be quietly in the field. not
SO much with the purpose of defeating
Mr.. Gear, as for being elected to the Sen.
| ate from Iowa. The Junior senator from
the Hawkeye State is well liked by his
colleagues and they do not care to be
regarded as coveting his seat Neverthe-
less, there will likely be some sharp poll.
tics in Iowa during the next year. Mr.
Gears term will expire on March g. 1901
II precedent is followed he will be re-
| turned to the Senate. but precedent Is an
uncertain thing for a politician to count
| upon too confidently, particularly in
| Iowa. -'si
1t was the influence of Senator Allison
that elected Mr.. Gear. and it is pretty
generally understood that IL he wants
his colleague to be returned he will be
Senator Allison has not yet declared
himself, and some expression from him
is anxiously awaited Mr.. Gear was for
merly governor of Iowa and has many
friends in high places.
re 81
The picturesque figure of Senator Stew.