The San Francisco call., 1899-03-11
Washington Politicians Say
That the War Is On
in Earnest.
THEY ALL DEPLORE IT
Will Be a Historic Battle, and
William Mckinley Will Exert
All of His Strength.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

Call Headquarters, Wellington Hotel,
Washington, March 10.
The administration contest against
Reed for reelection as Speaker is oc-
cupying much space in the Eastern
press. 1t is likely to become historical,
and may have most important bear
ing on the Presidential campaign next
year. Reeds jealousy of Mckinley is
well known. 1t is of long standing and
appears to have become chronic.
In discussing this subject leading
Republican to-day said: Il am sorry
that events have so shaped themselves
as to force the President to fight Reed.
Mr.. Reed is of course a tough customer,
and he can make a great deal of
trouble, but Mr.. Mckinley has demon
strated that he is a pretty good poll
tician, and 1 am satisfied that he will
prove to be equal to the present emer-
gency. Mr.. Reed was given every op-
portunity to adjust matters on salts
factory basis, but declined to avail him
self of it. That the administration can
defeat Reed for Speaker of the Fifty
sixth Congress is the conviction of the
great majority of conservative observ-
ers. Some Western man will be picked
out for the administration forces to
rally around. 1t may be Henderson of
Iowa. or Hopkins of Hin is, or some
unknown man, but the decision is in
favor of a man from the West.
There is method in this, of course.
The bulk of the Republican member
ship of the next House will be COM
posed of Western men. They will be
in the majority and should in the ma
turaI order of things, dominate the
House. It will be easier to defeat Reed
with a Western man than with Mr..
| Sherman or any one from the Eastern
States.
''Mr. Reed can also continue his fight
against the administration from the
floor, but the President believes that if
Mr.. Reed can be reduced to the ranks
in the House he will become more tract
able. Anything would be preferable, he
thinks, to his reelection as Speaker"
1t is pointed out that Mr.. Reed was
opposed to the annexation of Hawaii,
which the administration favored; that
he was at no time in sympathy with the
administrations Cuban policy; that he
opposed the acquisition C., the Philip
pines and of Porto Rico, and was un-
friendly to army reorganization on a
Nicaragua canal, which is regarded as
essential to the development of the ex-
pansion policy, and the Pacific cables.
being responsible for the defeat Of both
schemes.
1t is suggested that his opposition
thus disclosed to the general policy of
the administration will be almost GER
tain to hinder action if he is Speaker
of the next House, and that moreover,
his great power and prominence en-
courage the development of an anti
administration faction in the party
along almost the same lines of opposi-
ton, save on the money question, as
those adopted by the followers of w.
]. Bryan-anti-e anti-army,
anti-almost everything that the ad-
ministration is for. Moreover, it is as
serted that even on the money question
Mr.. Reeds plans differ from those of
the administration
Notwithstanding the opposition to
Reed for political reasons, it is con-
ceded that he is the biggest and BRAIN
lest Republican alive and it is probable
that when it comes to a showdown
many of those representatives who now
talk bravely of opposing him will fall
into Reeds lines as heretofore.