The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-03-17

From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, March 13.-Mr. Mckinley
hasn't gone to Townsville. Ga, where he will
be the guest of Boss Hanna for several weeks,
solely to get rest and recreation. Not by
jugfull. there is political scheming. and lot of
it, in the trip. While they are in Townsville
the leading administration Senators and Repre-
sentatives will visit them, and in addition to
ciinching Mr.. McKinley's denomination next
year, the question of whether the adminstra-
ton will try to prevent Car Reeds reelection
as Speaker of the House, will be carefully
gone over and decided. If it were only Ques-
ton of inclination, it might be considered as
already decided. Mr.. Mckinley and a number
of his closest friends are sore on Reed because
of his attitude towards all of the administra-
ton measures that came before the late Con-
gress. and would gladly antagonize his reelec-
ton as Speaker, if they thought they could beat
him, but there's the rub. They are afraid to
fight Reed, unless they are reasonably certain
of being able 10 control enough votes to down
him. because if they do so and fail, they know
he would fight back during the life of the
Fifty-Sixth Congress, which will be as long as
that of the administration.
Democrats will be glad If the Republican
party will endorse the claim of Representative
Cannon, of ILL.,, one of Gar Reeds most
ODE dent henchmen. that real Nicaragua Canal
legislation, which has been commended by
National Conventions, regardless of party, was
purposely prevented at the present session of
Congress by the Republican House The blame
for the failure of that legislation had been
placed upon Reed, but when Mr.. Cannon saws:
Fortunately, the House of Representatives
resisted the enactment Of the proposed legisa-
tion," in the labored commentator of Repub-
licsn accomplishments during the Fifty Fifth
Congress, he places the responsibility on the
Republican party, and actually gloats over it
assomething to be proud of. Will the National
Convention of his party dare to assume the
same attitude on this question?
While the friends of Gen. Miles do not go 30
far as to make the direct charge that the canned
meat furnished our soldiers in Cuba and Porto
Rico was horse meat, although labeled Roast
Beef" they do not hesitate to say that suspicion
strongly points that way. 1t is known that
$50, 900 cans of the meat was bought in Europe,
where it had been shipped from this country.
The labels on the meat said it was packed in
Chicago, but the firm alleged to have packed
it-"The Prairie State Packing Co.'s said to
be unknown either in Chicago or to the whole
sale trade of the country. That horse meat is
being canned in Chicago and shipped to Europe
is known. and pei sons who ought to know have
declared that the meat in question was horse
meat. If the Military Court of Inquiry really
wishes to get at the bottom of this business it
ought not to be difficult matter. The con-
tractors who supplied this meat could be made
to tell who canned it and where it was canned.
The Court is already accused of failure to call
witnesses known to have information tending
to prove Gen. Miles contention, and if its men,
bers are not careful their report will meet with
| the same reception the country gave to the re-
port of the Alger Whitewashing Commission;
Senator Chandler, who has a reputation for
| talking against things supported by his party,
| but always voting with his party, has an acute
attack of anti-trustphobia just now. He talks
against the trusts as seriously as though he wa.
| Il good Democrat or Populist, but that is nc
| reason to expect that he will vote against any
measures desired by the trusts which may come
before the Senate, in the future; he certainly
| has not done so in the past.
Navy Department officials say that armor fol
| our warships cannot be bought for $500 ton
| the limit set by the last Congress. A statement
made before the House Naval Committee show,
conslusvey that it could be if there was no
an armor trust, formed to bleed the govern
/
Russia three thousand tons of the same armo
for S24O ton. 1t was claimed by a represen
tative of that Company that 900 was los
on that order, for the purpose of introducin,
their armor in Europe. This claim was a direc
admission that the armor only cost 1888 ton
yet, the trust got the price fixed at $3.50 tor
in the bill as first passed by Congress. The re
duction was made by the Senate. That is tn
| r Al.
gusts those who believe in old fashioned hone.
dealings with the government as well as wit
individuals. If the trust can make armor 70
1888 a ton, which its agents say it can, it ca
certainly afford to sell it to the government 70
$500 ton, but, of course, that is no reaso
that it will. 1t will probably prefer maxim
the next Congress raise the price, and the ne X
Congress, being Republican in both branch,
will probably be easier to control than the lG
|