The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-12-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER..
WASHINGTON, D. c., December 25th.

WASHINGTON, D. c., December 25th.
MR. EDIToR:-Thc most notable thing
about the present attitude Of the Hanna
Mckinley machine is its apparent reck-
lessness in arranging for legislation that
will result in the eXtravagant expenditure
of public money. They seem to take it
for granted that the people are too dazed
to see through their schemes one Of which
is the ship subsidy job, which is to be
started with an appropriation of 100000
600, to be disbursed in ten years. This
job was endorsed by Mr.. Mckinley in his
message, and by the republican National
Committee at its recent meeting, and it is
to push it along that Assistant Postmaster
General Perry Heath and Comptroller of
Currency Dawes have been selected so
long in advance of the campaign, and in
absolute defiance of the Civil. Service law,
to prepare literature to be distributed by
the National Committee. The principal
duty of this republican literary bureau for
several months will be to try to fill repuh-
lican papers with demands for the passage
of the ship subsidy bill by Congress, in
order that the weak kneed republicans IN
Congress, who are disposed to balk on
this subsidy business, may be made to be-
lieve that the press of their party is de-
handing the legislation. If this job goes
through Congress and is signed by Mr.
Mckinley, it ought to, and probably will,
make thousands of democratic votes in
the Presidential campaign. And that isn't
the only contemplated job. In fact, it
looks as though the Hanna Mckinley ma
chine, in its recklessness to spend public
money in the interest of its favored sup
porters, would furnish first class lot Of
vote making democratic campaign ma
terial.
Boss Platt has already half won his
fight against Secretary Root as the nomi-
nee for Vice President on the Mckinley
ticket, as Boss Hanna has publicly said
that there was no disposition to force Mr..
Root on the ticket if he was not acceptable
to the New York delegation. But Platt
is not to have everything his own way,
and it is practically certain that he will
not be able to get his man, Timothy
Woodruff, on the ticket. Hanna played
strong anti-Platt card when he got
boom started for Cornelius Bliss, who was
Mr. McKinley's first Secretary of the In
terror, and who is every bit as objection
able to Plat as Root. And he dropped
hint for Platt when he said that if New
York wanted the second place on the ticket
it would have to present united delega-
ton at the Conventions; otherwise the
nomination would go to some other State.
Already, Attorney General Griggs has a
miniature BOOM
That Mr.. Mckinley does not regard his
re- election as an assured thing may be
Judged from the fact that he has already
partially made arrangements for an across
continent stumping tour, similar to
the one he made last fall The excuse is
to be the launching of the battleship Ohio
at San Francisco, which is to take place
some time in September or October. Mr..
Mckinley will attend the launching on a
turning by another, anc will make rear
platform speeches wherever the party
managers may consider them necessary.
Similar trips are to be made to the New
England States, all of which sh ows thai
Mr. Mckinley isn't expecting the walk
over that less shrewd members of his par
ty are predicting.
Subscriptions to the fund that is being
raised for the widow and children of Gen.
Lawton, who was killed in the Philippines,
are coming in quite rapidly. The total
now exceeds $1,000.
The administration has refused to order
Gen. Wheeler either to remain in the
Philippines, where he is said to be much
dissatisfied with the command given him
by Otis, or to return to Washington He
got a friend to endeavor to get Mr.. Nc
Kinley to drop hint on the subject and
that is the sort of hint he got. If General
Wheeler returns, he will have to resign his
commission as Brigadier General of Vol
unteers.
Senator Marion Butler Chairman of the
National Peoples party Committee, has
sent circular letter to each member of
that committee, asking for their views as
to holding National Convention to nom
mate Presidential ticket. He thinks
convention will be held ard that it will
nominate Col Bryan. Speaking of the
convention, Senator Alien, of Nebraska,
who is member of the National Commit
tee, said that it made no difference whether
the Convention was held before or after
the democratic convention, because it was
already settled that Col. Bryan would be
nominated by both conventions. Senator
Allen says the Bryan electors will carry
Nebraska by $4,000 majority.