The times., 1898-10-31
GENERAL POLITICAL GOSSIP

pose on people when 1t is desired to hyp-
notize. dope" and destroy them, on Sat
urday appeared to affect some of the best
disposed of the Administration officials.
After the Philippine bond deal game had
been perfunctorily ratified in the Cabinet,
1t having been really arranged for in
secret conference before the protocol was
signed, number of department people
engaged themselves in assuring the press
that allegations of a corrupt connection
between the Administrat tion and the shark
syndicate were all groundless.
These innocentse were busy declaring
that assumption of the Philippine debt
would not benefit ans gang to the extent
of peseta; that the consideration for
full possession of the Philippines would be
paid into the Spanishi treasury in gold,
and that Spain would then be at liberty
to do with that cash anything she pleased,
without regard to one or any class of
creditors "a
1t did not take long for the fact that
this kind of talk was going on to reach
the White House and the Republican Ma
tionai Committee headquarters. 1t took
still less time for disciplinary orders to
get back TO official persons at all likely
to express views.
Then 1t was that the first impression
given out began to be corrected, and very
shortly II was stated by the Administra-
ton people that misunderstanding had
occurred, and that, as a matter of fact.
the Cabinet had decided to pay the Si0,0o0.-
900 to Spain, and in cash. and not TO any
one else. but only on condition that the
money should be held as a sacred trust
fund. to be used solely to pay the Admin
istration bond shark gang at par for the
securities which were originally foated
at about 30 cents on the dollar, and which
have cost them much less.
II anyone wonders why such brutal
frankness should be ventured by the per-
sons on the inside of the plot, he has only
to read yesterdays news from Paris.
From that it will be seen that there is
movement within the Commission and at
Madrid, Complementary to that of the Ad-
ministration here. The Spanish represen-
tatives are to raise a most awful fuss
about losing the Cuban debt and get
ting nothing for the Philippines. but the
assumption of a paltry loan, which would
not relieve the Spanish exchequer cents
worth. They will even threaten to break
off the negotiations.
All this will tend conveniently to the
obscuraticn of the bond sharks deal and
to incline the American people to belief
that they will be getting the Philippines
SO cheaply at $i0.CG0O0O. and whatever may
be added to that sum in the ruction, that
they will not stop to think how the whole
business and all the booty is for the ex-
elusive benefit and enrichment of the
Hanna -Edmunds-Ireland -McCook Atkins
combination.
This is the season for political forecasts.
They are as numerous as flies In July
1t is very modest and humble citizen
indeed who does not feel qualified to pre-
dict election results in advance. One
peculiarity of political forecasts is that
no two are alike; another is that they
rarely harmonic with the returns on cleo
tion night. OF course, the great mass of So
called forecasts are practically worth
less. They only represent the guess of
some individual, and in the matter of
guessing on elections one mans guess is
apt to be as good as another's. However
inconclusive political forecasts may be-
they do reflect 10 a certain degree the
trend of the tide. This year the drift
seems to be largely in favor of the Demo-
cratic party. If there is to be landslide
on November s, the chances are that
the Democrats will reap the benefit of it.
Three of the leading New York papers
yesterday-the Herald, World and Jour
nal-published general summary Of the
whole political field. The Herald has been
doing this sort OF thing for a good many
years, and evidently has got the matter
down finer than any of its contemporar-
les. 1t may claim the credit OF having
originated the practice, In the past the
Herald has been quite successful in its
ante-election estimates. In 1SSS it pre-
dicted the defeat of Grover Cleveland by
Benjamin Harrison. Four years later, in
1892. it forerold Harsons crushing defeat
Last year it predicted the election of Van
Wyck as mayor and also declared that
Low. the Citizens Union candidate for
mayor, would poll more votes than Gen
Tracy. the Republican, candidate. The
Herald's summary briefly is as follows:
That Van Wyck leads IN the race for
governor of New York by the narrow
margin of 100. That the New York legis-
lature will be Republican on joint ballot,
insuring the election of a Republican to
succeed Senator Edward Murphy. jr
That the Fifty-sixth Congress will have a
Republican majority in the House of from
fifteen to twenty-five. That Quay will
elect his candidate, Stone. governor of
ttIlHSS INdilld- nat the BfNdniteS VIII
carry Nebraska. and that McKinley's
State of Ohio and Alger's State of Michi-
gan will not show any perceptible Re-
publican slump. The Herald adds a saving
clause to its forecast to the effect that
both parties are putting forth tremendous
eXertiOns, and the next seven days may
see a complete change in the situation.
The Journal figures out a plurality for
Van Wyck of 72,05O; a good working DEM
ocratic majority in the legislature, insur-
ing the return of Senator Murphy and
Democratic control of the next House
The next Senate, according to the Jour
nails forecaster, will be very close" with
the chances favoring the Democrats"
He gives the Democrats 169 representa-
tives in the House, the Republicans 1856
and sixteen to the fusiOnists leaving thir-
ty-six districts in doubt.
The Worlds forecast claims Van Wyck's
election by a plurality of 1900. a Demo-
cratic Legislature at Albany and a Demo-
cratic majority in the next House The
Senate will stand. according TO the
Worlds young man. after March 4, 1899:
Republicans. 40: Democrats, 3S: Populists
and others. s. The House. probably:
and Populists, 10, a Democratic majority
over all of five.
Discussing the political outlook yester-
day. an old campaigner said: "One