The times., 1898-10-27
GENERAL POLITICAL GOSSIP.

| 8e'~1~~4AAffA
1t has been announced unoficially that
President Mckinley would take up the
cohsideration oftselecting a successor to
Ambassador Hay at London Immediate
ly after his return from Philadelphia. 1t
Is also asserted that he would probably
honor Senator James Mcmillan. of Michi-
gan. with the appointment. The appoint
ment of Senator Mcmillan would be car
rying out the Arrangement alleged TO
have been made some time ago to pro-
vide place for Secretary Alger outside
OF the Cabinet. According to this pro-
gram Mcmillan was to be sent to London
and Aleer was to take his place in tie
| Senate by the courtesy of Governor Pin
| gree. of Michigan. II transpires now.
however. that there is likely to be some
| opposition to the carrying out of this
| arrangement from an unexpected quar-
| ter. Whitelaw Reid of New York, who
| Is al present performing the exactsng du-
| ties of a Peace Commissioner at Paris,
| would like to so TO London as ambassa-
| dor from the United States, and he is
bringing all the influence within his
reach to bear upon the President to Sc
cure his appointment. Mr.. Reid has be IN
| importuning the President for recoSni-
| tion ever since Mr. Mckinley took the
| oath of office. He first wanted to be SC
| retary of State, and then consented TO
| lccept the position of ambassador to Eng
| land. He finally compromised on the
| Office of special ambassador to the
| celebration of the sixtieth anniversary OF
| Queen Victoria's reign. His most impor-
I tant duty in this connection was to pre-
1 Ean nf
| President Mckinley TO her majesty.
Upon his return to New York MIR. Reid
| renewed his efforts to break into the Nc
! Kinley cabinet The inside story of j. hn
Sherman's retirement from the office OF
Secretary of State when 1t comes to be
written will, it Is said disclose the in
| teresting fact that the Hon. White aw
Reid played very important part in II.
| The Reid influence, 1t Is asserted, forceo
| Secretary Sherman out OF the cabinet
/ Ii one will take the trouble to refer back
to the files of Mr. Reds newspaper the
New York Tribune he will find plenty OF
corroborative evidence on this point. 1t
is said that Mr.. Sherman intends 10 add
a special chapter to his memoirs devoted
exclusively To a discussion OF the Re
| incident and there is no doubt but that
it Will make interesting reading.
The conspiracy to force John Sherman
out of the Cabinet was successful, but
Mr.. Reid did not reap the reward he ex-
| pected from it. The President, 1t is un-
derstood, was favorable TO Mr.. Reds Sc
| lection as Secretary of State. and was
on the point of formally rendering him
/
red to cause him to change mis- mind. II
! Will be recalled that Postmaster General
Gary resigned from the Cabinet at about
| the same time as Mr.. Sherman. The
| President had Charles Emory Smith on
| his slate for Postmaster General and
| Whitelaw Reid for Secretary of State.
/ Both Quay and Platt learned of this fact
at about the same time. They took coun-
sci together and called at the White
House fully determined to oppose both
appointments. 1t is said that they fiatly
informed the President that they would
| antagoniZe the confirmation of either
| Reid or Smith in the Senate, At that time
| the President was trying to keep the
Senate in check on the CUBAN situation
and he needed all the friends he could
| get, Mr. Quay was subsequently induced
to withdraw his opposition to the appo Mt
ment of Mr.. Smith. 1t is believed with the
| Use Of the Administrations support in
his fight for reelection to the Senate
| MIR. Platt, however held out and as he
| had several years TO serve in the Sem
| ate before the expiration of his term, the
| President gave heed to his protest. Judge
| Day was appointed Secretary of State
temporarily and later on Mr.. Hay was
| transferred from London to the State
portfolio.
| Mr.. Reid obtained a partial revenge on
Senator PIatt. however. when he secured
his appointment as one of the Peace Com
mIssioners at Paris. Mr. Platt antagonized
his appointment vigorously, but as the
Senate was not in session he could not
make use of the threat to prevent his con-
| firmation. Mr.. Platt wanted the President
| to appoint former Secretary of the Navy
Benjamin +. Tracy 4 Peace Commissions
er instead of Reid. Mr.. Reds success
| over Mr.. Platt in the matter of peace
| commissionership has evidently persuad-
ed him that he can secure the ambassa-'
| dorship plum in spite of Mr.. Platt's oppo-
sition. 1t will be interesting to watch the
developments that follow. No one has
| ever accused Whitelaw Reid of possessing
any personal popularity but he has pow
erful financial influences at his back
through his father-in-law. d. o. Mills,
| and he has a sort of personal claim on
Mr. Mckinley by reason of the fact that
| he advocated his nomination for the
Presidency in his newspaper when Mr..
| Plat was doing everything in his power
| to prevent II. Mr.. Platt will have a friend
at court in the person of Secretary AL
ger. who naturally would like to see the
McMillan-Alger-Pingr deal carried out.
1t is not believed that the President will
appoint an ambassador to England until
after the November elections.
Henry Romeike. of New York, the origi-
nator of the press-clipping business in this
country, was in town yesterday. II am a
Democrat" he said, and I expect to vote
for Van Wyck. but I must say that the
tide has changed during the past week in
Col. Roosevelt's favor. Ten days ago 1
had no doubt of Van Wyck's election, but
the introduction of the judiciary issue
In the campaign has had the effect of
complicating the situation, and from
present Indications will seriously affect
Van Wyck's chances. Judge Daily, whom
Mr.. Croker turned down, is the president
of the Catholic Club. of New York. and
he is likely to draw the entire Catholic
vote to his side. 1t is not generally known,
but 1t is q fact, that Richard Croker him
self-is "a Protestant, while Col. Roosevelt
is Catholic. Former Mayor Grace said
to me recently in discussing the introduc-
ton of the religious issue in politics, that
it had been his experience that the at
tacks that had been made upon him for
being a Catholic had always helped to