Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-06-08
WHO WILL Be SPEAKER I!
Something of a Turn in Tide
in the Race for Speaker
ship Honors
HENDERSON IN THE LEAD
Westesn and Northwestern States Are
e Said to be Very Nearly Solid
y for the low Congressman.

s. for the low Congressman.
Discussion Regarding tho Reason for Se-
1ectinE May 80 as National Memorial or
Decoration Day-Idsa originated Among
Maryland Women - Other News From
the National Capital.
Washington, June 6.-Something of
II turn in the Speakership tide has been
experienced here within the past day
or two, and among those best posted
i'll political affairs it is conceded that
the strong support for Col. Henderson,
of Iowa, which is coming to the sur
face every day, gives him an encour-
aging prospect to capture the coveted
honor The western and northwestern
States will go, it appears at present,
very nearly solid for the Iowa man.
and the support that has been pledged
to him by eastern admirers puts him
somewhat in the lead of other aspir-
ants. The withdrawal of Hopkins
from the race has increased Hender-
sons prospects to Il considerable eX-
tent. good many Congressman in
the Middle States have also pledged
themselves to support the Western
man.
New York, June G.-SiXteen members
of the SiXty-ffth Congress. compriS-
the Republican delegation from this
state. have swung into line for David
Il. Henderson, of Iowa. for the Speak
ership. The caucus of the New York
men will be held in p0rlor u II OF the
Filth Avenue Hotel. when Il formal en-
dorsement of the Iowan probably will
be recorded
The President has begun his round
of diploma distributing, making his
first appearance in this capacity at
the commencement of the law school
of the Howard University, the large
colored institution of Washington
The exercises We're very interesting
From now on the President will be in
demand for commandments
There has been a great deal of dis
cuSSion this year as 10 why May 80
was selected as Decoration Day. Some
have said that it was ON Gen. Grants
suggestion that Il National Memorial
Day was selected. The idea original
ed among the women of Maryland
who put flowers upon the graves of
both Union and Confederate soldiers
once Il year during the War of the
Rebellion. BY the time the war was
over. the custom had spread to other
States. and it had almost become gen
eral among the Northern people. but
il was not until 1869 that Gen. John
\. Logan. as Commander-inC Chief of
the Grand Army of the Republic, ap-
pointed May 80 for that purpose. In
his order he called the day Memorial
Day. 1t is said that he selected May
30 because it corresponds with the
date of the last honorable discharge
II,
the war between the States. Within
the last few years he name has grad
ually been chnged from Memorial Day
to Decoration Day.
Gold is coming into the United
States Treasury at such rapid rate
that the clerks find it difficult to count
it and put it away in bags. In fact
some one has remarked that Uncle
sam now has more gold than he can
count. and that for the first time in
his history there is more gold in the
United States than any other country
in the world. 1t is said that with
what this Government now holds and
what is in circulation the total comes
very near one thousand million of dol
lars On the 1st day of May Uncle
sam presented as a consolation purse
to Spain S20,0O0,000 and since that
time the gold has been pouring in in
such Il stream that the hole made is
nearly filled and the Treasury state
ment for last month shows that there
is S261.2S1 ,301,61 of gold coin and
bullion in the Treasury
Now that the Presidents civil SER
vice order has been promulgated for
several days. those affected are begin
ming TO understand that the President
was letting down the bars and putting
in office hordes of clerks that are now
carried on the temporary rolls have
found that they read the order wrong
~ and that the bars are not to be let
down so very fast The special sec
ton to which the civil service reform
erS took so much exception. was the
one allowing temporary clerks to be
transferred to the regular rolls by the
appointing power. This was thought
TO affect large number of clerks ap-
pointed in the War Department during
war times. Since the order was is
sued. Secretary Alger, at the War De-
partment. and Assistant Secretary
Meiklejohn have been beseiged by the
temporary clerks with requests to be
placed on the regular rolls. 10 their
amaZement. all these clerks have been
told that it was not the intention of
the President, nor the meaning of the
change in the rules. TO transfer them
to permanent places. This would be
creating new clerkships, thing which
the President never intended. nor
would the law allow.
.rr~ in the Race to Stay.
Washington. June 5.-Representative