The times., 1899-03-04
GENERAL WA CHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Leader Bni,e,,s .bdicn,ion.-Joser

Leader BniIey's Abdicntion.-Joseph
W. Bailey. Representative in Congress
from the State of Texas, has formally an
nounced his intention to decline to act as
| the leader of the Democratic minority of
! the next House. This important piece OF
news was permitted to get out yesterday,
| and 1t naturally attracted more or less at
tention in political circles. If lr. Bailey's
! announcement had come at any other
/ time, when the attention OF the public
i was less occupied with affairs OF serious
| moment, it might have precipitated
! panic or something worse. Mr.. Bailey, oil
| course, did not take this into considera-
! ton. He simply resigned, abdicated. or
| Jumped the game. so to speak. without
| any regard for the consequences. The al
! legged cause for Mr.. Bailey's rash act was
! the refusal of certain portion OF the
! minority 10 follow the Texas statesman
| in upholdihg and preserving the Constitu'
/ ton of the United States by voting to un-
| seat General Joe Wheeier'and other mem-
| bers of the House who had accepted conf
missions in the volunteer army in the war
| against Spain. The point raised by Mr..
Bailey in this connection was clearly con-
| stitutional and would doubt be sus-
| tained by the Supreme Court or any other
| Judicial body that might be called to pass
upon it, but what is puzzling even the
| men who have been standing by Bailey up
! to the present time is how he could con-
! strue the action of minority of his po-
/ iitical associates as sufficient reason for
resigning his leadership" and possibly
endangering the welfare, if not the safety,
of the Republic. Mr.. Bailey, they believe,
| has made "A serious mistake. 1t may trans
pire that he has blasted at one fell stroke
! what otherwise might have become a very
| promising and brilliant career.
! Il am afraid that Mr. Bailey has killed
himself politically" said Representative
| DeGraffenrid of Texas last night. He
| is acting in a very childish fashion, very
much like spoiled infant. who refuses
| TO play because he cannot have his way.
| The public will refuse to take Bailey
seriously, and if he has been correctly re-
ported, there will be danger of his being
| turned down at home. He has apparently
destroyed his chance of being elected to
| the Senate. Who will succeed Bailey MS
! the Democratic leader of the House? That
| is hard question to answer. 1t looks as
| though we would have to get along with
| out any leader for some time
Some friends of Mr.. Bailey. however,
| think that there was some method in his
apparent break" after all. Mr.. Bailey"
| said one of his intimates last night lis
not fool. He is impulsive and all that,
but he has brains and great deal of ma
!
/ some time that his selection as the mi
nority leader of the next House was by no
| means certain: that it would be abso,ut ely
| impossible unless Mr.. Reed should be
elected Speaker. Recent developments
have shown that Mr.. Reeds election as
! Speaker of the Fifty sixth Congress is
doubtful. to say the least. The Admins
tration has plainly decided to oppose Reed
for Speaker. and believing that the Ad-
mi inn yyiI in, hob
the situation, Mr.. Bailey improves the first
good opportunity to proclaim his abii "a
ton as leader of the minority. | think
that he has made a shrewd move. If he
should subsequently have the leadership
forced upon him he would be in a much
stronger position than he has occupied UP
to the present time. My conviction is that
Mr.. Bailey knows what he is about
\ Mckinley CaEyass.-That the man
ayers of Mr. McKiney's political affairs
have been somewhat uneasy regarding his
nomination next year by his party for a
second term is indicated by the fact that
they have taken pains to have the Republic
can members OF both branches of Congress
interviewed as to what they thought of
the advisability of Mr.. McKinley's renomi-
nation. These interviews. 1t is understood.
Will be published in few days. and 1t can
be stated that they all sound the praises
of Mckinley and recommend him for an
other term. This move was made. it is
said. in order to forestall any booms that
| might be started for Governor Roosevelt
or any other man. Mr. Mckinley has
demonstrated upon a number of occasions
that he is a past master in the art of
political manipulation. 1t will not be his
fault if he does not have a single rival
before the Republican National Convention
next year.
Cubnn Inyrstmcnts.-A cable dispatch
announces the arrival in Havana OF Abner
Mckinley. brother of the President He
is reported TO be in good health.
\ Brice Poker story used to en-
JOY gamesof poker on small scale,
remarked ESenator at the Capitol yes
terday, although / am poor man and
have practically no income outside of my
senatorial SALARY to live upon. But /
| have not sat IN a game for several years,
and doubt very much if | will ever do so
again. What brought me to this state of
mind regarding poker was experience
| had at the house of the late Calvin 5.
Brice. / was one of a party at a private
dinner given by Brice. Don Cameron. Matt
Quay, and others who like to play for
high stakes We're present. As a rule |
drink very little, although am not a tee
totaler by any means. Brice's cham
pagne was, of course, nrst-class, and |
imbibed several glasses of il. No. | did
not get tight. but | was slightly exhilarat-
ed. AT any rate, when a game of poker
was suggested | readily consented | knew
better than TO get into game with sucn
bold and reckless players as Cameron and
! Quay, to say nothing of Brice. but under
the excitement of the occasion / joined
in. II was a small game five dollar
| limit, 1 believe. The game ran on with
varying luck for several hours: | think
that l was perhaps $500 the loser when
got hand that looked favorable We
were playing all jackpots then. Finally
all the others dropped out except Cameron
and myself In easy, offhand way Cam
eron said, 1 will raise you s.. 900
Now $1,000 meant a great deal to me-
II is more money than | have ever had in
bank at any one time. but being still
under the influence Of the wine. | said,
1 call you. | won and went home about
$4,000 richer than l was the day previous.
However. it taught me a lesson II made.
me tremble the next day 10 think of thu.
predicament | would Lave been in if had
lost. have never played Il game Of
poker since"
The Railroad Martyr.
(From the Cleveland Plain Dcaler1