The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-10
Ills INFLUENCE in CONGRESS
is GREATER THAN WAS EVER EN-
ERTEp By ANY CHIEF MAGIs-
TRArE OF THE coUNTRY-HIs
ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF DEsrR-.
ED LEGISLATION NEVER BE.
FORE EouALED-HIs FOREIGN
POLICY THE ADMIRATION
EVEN OF HIS ENEMIES.

y ~ =
Mckinley received the congratula lions
OF his cabinet and other friends on the
success OF the first year OF his admins
ustlon yesterday. with sincere salts
faction. Like every sensible man. he Is
his own critic, realizing that he makes
mistakes and recognizing his failures.
vet he can hardly be expected to agree
with his adverse critics. who claim that
his administration thus far has been.
made up chiefly OF mistakes and fall
ures. No one knows better than
President of the United States, after a
years experience. his personal limita-
tons and those OF his Office. He knows
that, under the pressure OF clrcum.
stances over which lie has practically
no control, he must constantly do
things he would rather not do and fall
10 do things he would like to do. His
great official powers, In some ways the
most Important in the world, are in 9th
er ways SO circumscribed that he cam
not carry out his purposes.
He can make O nomination, he can
make Il treaty, he can recommend leg
islatlon. but he must have the cooper
ating approval OF the senate sor the
domination and the tceaty, and OF both
houses for the legislation before thes
can be cOnsummated.' So In matters OF
party politics he. must he guided largely
by the wishes OF the party leaders In
Congress, especially by those of his
own particular following. Eut President
Mckinley, looking back this cold. wet,
'lisasreeable day, with its new argu-
mcnt for changing the inauguration to
April 30. to the bright and balmy day a
year ago. when he came into the white
house, feels thai his opening year has
been as successful as In the circum-
stances II probably could have been. He
is too sensible 20 expect everybody to
agree with him, but he truly believes
that he has not only kept the nations
pence With honor, but tina: he has done
his part toward restoring her prosper
~, and that In all his dealings. both
with home affairs and foreign affairs,
he has done his patriotic duty.
In some respects. and especially in his
dealings with Congress, he has had al
most unexampled success. His person
al relations with the vice president, In
spite of-:he traditional feeling OF antaG-
on!sm with the speaker. In spite OF their
long riralry, and with the leading SEN
nto-s and representatives OF oil parties
in both houses. have been friendly be-
yond precedent. This had a great deal
10 do with his remarkable achievement
in getting from Congress at the extra
session.. before the middle OF the sum-
Ter. ;hr most important legislation In
rv t1i ha,= as NnI ~
nerd during his present term, the verr
cornerstone of his administration.
This, too, has had much 10 do with his
unprecedented success with his noml-
nations. not one OF them having been
rejected up 10 this time. although they
had TO he submitted TO; n senate In
whics his party did not have major
ity. and where any one of them could
have been defeated any time by the
combined opposition vote. &
Leaving out OF view. the merits OF the
Dlng!ey tariff act, and OF particular
nominations. TO which exceptions might
be justly taken. no one acquainted with
Washington AFFAIRS can deny that Pres
iden; Mckinley has accomplished more
In Congress than any other President
has accomplished under similar condi-
tons. The senate has not ratified the
Hawaiian annexation treaty, but, on
the contrary, Is about to bury It. but
With his party in the minority 1t was
too much To expect that he could secure
its ratification, and he Is consoled by
the hope that the purposeZof annexa-
tion will be accomplished by legislation.
even though the original instrument has
failed 81
The house has not passed the treasury
reform legislation. rs he recommended,
az the currency reform legislation that
the secretary OF the treasury recon-
mended. but he has not given up hope
taai the house may pass some legisla-
Non or that character even vet. and.
besides. he knows that nothing OF the
SORT could pass the senate. so that the
ia!lu:e OF the house TO act upon it
would Involve no practical loss.
Besides. nothing Is palmer than that
president Mckinley thinks that these
MEASURES are not imperattvely, press
ing, nut can wal, without dangerous re-
suits IN the immediate future. He did
not 10 anything In the direction OF such
legislation at the extra session. except
20 propose at the last minute the crea-
non or n monetary commission, which
lie knew could not be had from the
opposition senate.
hhGin presenting the subject earnest
~ al the opening OF the present session.
o'lu IN his speech in New York and
nSher utterances, he was evidently
tn!hkins more OF the educational, value
"l what he was saying than of any i'm
mediate and practical effect He was
more sollcitous to consolidate the sound
money forces, as the unsound money
FORCES have been consolidated, than he
was Ia. gain the empty triumph OF get
ing billthrough the house that could
moi go through the senate. He was
'n'nkihg or the next campaign rather
IMAM OF this session. In the circunl-
f,nhces. with the senate in the hands OF
me opposition all he really hoped to get
IRON Congress at this session was the
annexation OF Hawaii, and he has evil
uehtiy agreed with Speaker Reed how
ever much they differ on Hawaiian an
hexaton and several other things, that
economy and early adjournment were
'he Two things to keep before the house.
speaker Reeds policy OF Opposing
cVerSthlng' and doing nothing" was
ho' inspired by President Mckinley, for,
a.. a. y vel known, tho speaker does not
NIX ms inspiration from the President,
~, anu. although they are on friendly
inns. they have seldom met since the
a'h OF March; but IN the main there Ia
certain coincidence in their purposes.
PRESIDENT Mckinlcy's foreign policy
nus been more generally approved ma
more heartily supported than his do.
NESTLE policy. although both his deal
HEa with Spain and his dealings with