The times., 1899-01-12
GENERAL POLITICAL
NOTES AND GOSSIP
Joseph Hodge. choate.-The friends

NOlEo HINH ooSSfT
Joseph Hodges Choate-The friends
of Mr.. Choate, Of New York, heaved
sigh of relief yesterday when they LEANED
that the name of their man had actually
been sent to the Senate for the post OF
ambassador to Great Britain. They had
not been able to understand the deay n
making this appointment and not unnat
urGlly suspected that some underhand
work was going on. II can he said now
that the pressure against Mr.. Choates So
lection was great deal stronger than
good many of Mr.. Choatc's friends i'm
agincd. 1t was not. 1t is said confined
altogether to Editor Whitelaw Reid and
his small cGterie OF admirers. SOmc very
influential Irish Republicans, it is stated.
requested Mr. Mckinley to held up Mr.,
Choates appointment until they could
look up his record and ascertain what
foundation there was TO the charge that
Mr. Choatc was not a friend of the .sh
race. II is believed that Mr. Choata was
able to satisfy them that he was all right.
at any rate he has got his appointment.
and it is not likely that there will be any
serious opposition to his confirmation.
Mr.. Choate has never held any public Office
except that of president of the constitu-
tional convention Of New York in 1891.
He was candidate for the Senate at the
time Mr.. Platt was elected. and made some
very caustic remarks about the evi s OF
boss rule in politics. II is generally ad
mitted now, however. that if Boss Platt
had not stood up manfully for Mr.. Choate
that his name never would have been sent
to the Senate to be ambassador. Mr..
Choates appointment was commented
upon very favOrably in political circles
yesterday. The consensus of opinion was
that the Administration was To be con-
graduated as well as Mr.. Choate.
Army REORGANIZATION May Force
an Extra Scssion.-Unless the members
of the Administration can get together and
agree upon some plan for the reorganiza-
tion of the army which will be acceptable
to the leading military men of the com
try there will be serious danger, it is be-
lieved, that no bill FOR the reorganlatiun
of the army can be passed at the present
session. 1t is not thought the Hull bill
can go through the Senate in its present
shape, whatever its fate may he N the
House. II Congress fail TO make pro-
vision for a reorgani sa,i0n and increase
of the regular army at the present session
,, the President it is understood. will feel
constrained to call an extra session of tie
Fifty-sXth Congress to pass Il measure.
1t is regarded as of the first Importance
after the ratification of the Peace Treaty
TO have the army placed upon an adequate
footing to meet the new conditions and
requirements of the country. The great
majority OF the members of the volunteer
regiments are all anxious to be mustered
out, and each one has political influence.
The continuation of the volunteer sci
diers in the service for an indefinite
length of time is not to be thought of,
members of the Administration say. The
opposition TO any radical increase in the
regular army is gaining in strength and
is believed to be pretty well organized,
particularly in the Senate. 1t is apparent
to impartial observers that ii is going
to be a difficult matter to get any army
reorganization bill through Congress be-
fore March 4. and 1t will be absolutely
necessary for the advocates of the army
reorganization to get together and agree
upon some line OF action to accomplish
anything. It was stated yesterday that a
conference would he called within the next
few days with view to having the matter
fixed up. At present it is generally re-
cognized that the most serious danger
of an extra session next Spring is found
in the threatened blocking OF the army
reorganization scheme.
The New Indiana Senntor.-Albcrt j.
Beveridge, who will succeed Sena-
| tor David Turpie of Indiana in
the Senate on March 4. will be
an entirely new man in Washing
ton. He is only thirty-five years old AMI
will be the baby of the Senate. Mr..
Beveridge is highly spoken of by those
who know him. He is lawyer of ac-
knowledged ability and mas great repu-
tation in the West as am orator. As might
: have been expected Mr.. Beveridge was
born~in Ohio. Speaking of Mr. BeVeridge.
First Assistant Postmaster General Heath,
who is himself Indiana man. said yes
terday:
Il have known Mr.. Beyeridge for some
| years. and l regard him one OF the
! brightest men in the State Of Indiana. Ia
/ appearance he looks very much like boy
| twenty -four or twenty-five years of age.
| He is thoroughly competent and has fewer
enemies than any politician know. His
oratorical abilities wonderful He is
ready and fluent talker and his superior
| intellect serves him well in this respect.
! He has been a consistent politician, and
very wise one. | might add In this
| fight for the nomination he had perfect
| organization and no one doubted his ability
10 win after the first skirmish."
| Indiana politicians say that the election
of Mr. Beveridge to the Senate will result
in the retirement OF Senator Charles w
| Fairbanks at the expiration of the Iatter's
| term of service. Mr. Bcveridge lives in
| indianapolis. which is also lhe home OF
| Mr.. Fairbanks
| Complaints From the i.obb>-The
members OF the Third House are complain
| ing that there is distressing absence Of
''pickings' around Congress this Winter
! They had prepared themselves. i, is un-
derstood. for lively" session, but up to
| date they state that they have scarcely
| been able to make more than their eX-
| penses. and many OF them not even that
Il think that his has been the dulleSt
session thus far for good many years.
said a veteran member of the lobby yester-
day. There is absolutely nothing going
| on in our line. Matters may improve Il
| little later on when the river and harbOr
| bill comes up, but the chances are that
most of us will 90 broke this Winter Our
| time will come at the next session how
ever We will have our innings then over
| colonial Legislation and other things. ii |
| am not very much mistaken. At the begin
| ming of the present session il was an
nounced that the beer people were coming
! here to try to get the war tax on beer re-
| moved. We anticipated quite a harvest
| from them, but after looking over the sit
uation they made up their minds that moth
| ing could be accomplished at this session
and prudently decided to save their
| money. This was a big disappointment to
| our profession, but, then life is full of dis
| appointments and one must learn to take
| them philosophicaly.