The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-01-20
CAPITAL JOTTLNGS.
Correspondents to TIE COMMONWEALTH.
WnLARD's HOTEL,

WIZARDS HOTEL,
Washington, Jan. Is, 1898.
The best inside information that can
be obtained at this writing is to the
effect that the opposition to the Haw-
allan annexation treaty is melting
away. The opinion is gaining ground
that it will finally be ratified and that
the debate may close earlier than was
indicated by our advices last week. 1t
is true that there is still an influential
lobby at work in the interest OF the
Sugar Trust against annexation, and
that efforts have been made to enlist
the beet sugar interest on that side,
but upon sober second thought the
representatives G: the latter interest are
beginning to see that they have nothing
In common with the great monopoly
and that the limited output of Haw-
allan sugar can have no effect upon the
price of their product.
-
It is rather late to discuss the Ohio
Senatorial contest, yet that affair and
its bearing upon the future of national
as well as Ohio politics is a leading
topic In Washington. Few politicians
of either party doubt that Hanna
bought his election, and if the matter
comes before the Senate with anything
like substantial showing OF the facts
the great boss is likely to have more
trouble than he has anticipated. There
are some Senators of his own party
who neither like Hanna or approve OF
his methods, and If his peculiar man.
,ner of obtaining results should be PROV
ed on him, his seat would hardly be
worth what 1t cost him. Probably no
man now in public life has done more
to debauch politics or to strangle pa
triotism and respect for so-called pop
ular verdicts. His contempt for the
common people and belief that all ends
can be secured by the use of money
that the interests OF the money power
must alone PREVAILS rapidly becom-
Ing the single plank In the platform of
the political element he represents. II
it continues to be accepted by the pub
lie we will not need a Daniel or a Solo
mon to prophesy what is to become of
the republic.
The debate on the civil service gave
the humorists in the House a chance
to exercise their fun-making faculty.
Gillett, of Massachusetts,, who has a
face as finely drawn as a cameo, made a
strong argument in favor of the present
system, and took occasion to fire one or
two hot ones at the "grim old lion of
Athens" as Champ Clark calls General
Grosvenor. He pictured the gray
bearded Onion as crying to his young
comrades in the House in the words OF
Henry of Navarro at the battle OF Ivry
Press where you see my white plume
shine
Amid the ranks OF war,
And be your orlfamme to-day
The head of Gros-ve-nor.
At another time he described the
spoils system in the following verse:
1t lies through two swing doors swung
The attendance Is always full.
Some by the door marked, push
get through,
And the rest by the door marked,
"pull."
But 1t was left to Representative
John Allen, the well-known wit of the
House, to tell story that pleased the
civil service advocates immensely.
Allen was paying his respects to the
crowded galleries ands..declared that
their applause was not good sign as
to the wants of the people. II will tell
you what makes the galleries applaud"
he went on. 81 will tell you what
makes them howl. A friend was tell
Ing me the other day about dog that
he had that howled and moaned
all night. He didn't want to kill the
dog and he didn't want to give him
away. He talked to an old darkey
about him, and asked what he ought
to do with him. The old darkey
laughed and said, "Why, massa, you
raised in de country 'mong dogs, and
don't know what make dat dog howl
dat way? Why, when you hear a dog
howl and moan dat way, he smells
something and can't locate it. (Great
laughter.) Now, my friends, when
you hear these bowls of applause from
the galleries it simply means that the
crowd up there smells the pie but can't
locate it."
That big-hearted Tennessee Repre-
sentative, Walter Brownlow, created
a good deal of laughter when he de-
clared that President Mckinley. in
considering the loud protestations of
Cleveland for civil service reform