Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-11-24
SCRAMBLE FOR PIE.
COMMITTEE POSITIONS CAUSE
FOR THE SCRAMBLE.


From our Regular Correspon lent.
WASHINGTON, Nov. II, 1899.
Republican members OF the House
are scrambling as eagerly as though
the big prize-the Speakership-had
not been awarded months ago. The
chairmanships of commuters and the
patronage OF the House are tie prizes
for which they are now struggling.
Cannon and Hit, both of Illinois,
have been assured of retaining their
places at the head of the Appropria-
ton and Foreign committees; cOnse-
uuently there is no fight upon either
of them, not because the selections are
acquiesced in but because they know
that fighting will be useless. The big
gest fight is over the craftsmanship Of
the Ways and Means committee,
which carries with it the floor leader
ship OF the party. Payne, OF New
York, was chairman of that commit
tee. after the death of Mr.. Dingley. in
the last House, and he claims it again.
But several other members, including
Dalzell, of Pennsylvania, and Hopkins,
of Illinois, think they have equal
claims, and as Mr.. Payne is not over
popular with members they are get
ting strong backing. The fact that
Illinois is already booked for two big
chairmanships will probably operate
against Hopkins. A big shakc-up is
likely in the membership OF the COM
mittee on Banking and Currency,
which was packed by Reed for the es-
pecial purpose of preventing its re-
porting financial bill. In this
House it is to be packed for the pur-
pose of reporting financial bill, the
one declaring for the single gold
standard, TO which Mr.. Henderson is
thoroughly committed. The job of
recognizing the committee was made
easy for Mr.. Henderson by the failure
OF some OF its most prominent men,
bers, including its chairman" Joe"
Walker, of Massachusetts-to return
to the House. The old Reed officers
of the House are all fighting for re-
election.
The latest imperialistic dream in
cludes combination between this
government, Great Britain, and Ger
many, for the purpose of dominating
the commerce and preserving the
~f hn h.l,
that this combination has already
been partially made.
The cruiser Charleston, wrecked off
the coast OF the island of Luzon, al
though one of the oldest ships of our
new navy, was worth more than half
million dollars, and that sum may
now be added to the large and rapidly
growing amount that this country is
paying for imperialism.
What readers of this paper have
known for some time-that Boss Plat
was scheming to get Gov. "Teddy"
Roosevelt on the ticket with Mr.. Nc
Kinley next years. beginning to be
fully understood by friends of other
would-be running-mates of Mr.. Nc
Kinley. That Platt was working with
the knowledge and consent of Roose-
welt has been suspected from the first,
and now it is practically certain.
Roosevelt told prominent New York
Republican the other day that if the
party managers wished him to run for
the Vice Presidency he would accept.
Humph! Of course he would accept,
and be almighty glad of the opportun-
ity, too.
trustworthy information, the admins
tration is secretly dickering with
Aguinaldo. 1t is said that Gen. Otis
was instructed to open communica-
ton with Aguinaldo and submit GER
tain propositions from this govern
ment to him, and that Otis replied
that he had forwarded the dispatches
to Gen. Macarthur, with instructions
to get them to Aguinaldo, il he could
ind him. Not a word of Information
as to the nature of the propositions
submitted to Aguinaldo, or rather
which this government is trying to
submit to him, can be had in official
circles, further than statement that
they relate to Spanish prisoners.
Why the preliminary report OF the
Philippine Commission, which was
forced by Mr.. Mckinley for use in
Ohio, did not throw any bouquets at
Gen. Otis has been ascertained. Adj
miral Dewey put his foot down on the
report containing a single sentence of
praise for Otis. And that isn't all
that has become known. Admiral
Dewey, while declining to criticise
Otis, told Mr.. Mckinley that it the
American army had been commanded
by the right sort OF an officer there
would have been no war with the Fill
pinos. That is said to have been the
principal reason for cur ailing the au-
thority of Otis, by fixing it so that
Gems. Macarthur, LAYTON and Whea-
ton would be left free to fight the
troops under them in their own way
during the present campaign against
Aguinaldo.
Very few Democratic Senators and
Representatives have yet reached
Washington, for the session OF Con-
gress shortly to open. But those who
have been in Washington since the
State elections have all been disposed
to regard the outlook for Democratic
success next year as decidedly favora-
BILE. With majority of votes in the
Presidents own State, where vast
sums of money were used, against his
party's candidate. they do not even re-
gard that State as sure to 60 for Nc
Kinley. 1t is, they believe. merely a
Question OF uniting the an,i-Repnhli-
can vote to elect the next President,
and the Republican Congress may as
sist materially in doing that.