The evening times., 1899-02-10
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Fate of the Antl-Scalping BILL
The people interested in the passage of the
anti-scalping bill have been quite confident
all along that they would get the hi.i
through before the adjournment of Con-
gress, but as the end of the session draws
nearer and the bill is still unpassed the
chances of its becoming law are regarded
as very slim. 1t is believed that the bill
would pass the Senate if it could be
brought to vote, but there is no way ap-
parently by which a vote can be forced on
the measure. One or two Senators have 1T
in their power to block almost any 1egis a
tion on the calendar, as the time remaining
to the session is so short Great pressure
has been brought to bear on the Senate by
the railroads and Others interested in the
passage of an anti-scalping. bill, but there
are said to be a number of Senators who
are determined to fight it to the end, and
unless they change their minds there will
be no anti-scalping bill passed at this ses-
sion. If the matter goes over to the next
Congress the whole fight will have to be
fought over again. However, the bill viii
have great and good friend in the Senate
after March in the person of Chauncey
N. Depew.
General Miles and the Court of En-
quiry.-The impression prevails in polit-
ical and military circles that the Court of
Enquiry that has been appointed to inves-
tigate General Miles statements concern
ing embalmed and diseased meat supplied
to the soldiers of the United States in Gu
ba and Porto Rico, may be prelude to a
court-martial of the Major General COM
manding. That this is clearly the purpose
of the clique in the War Department that
is antagonistic to General Miles is per-
fectly obvious. However, General Miles is
not without powerful friends right in the
Cabinet circle and they will endeavor to
see that he receives fair play. One point
the Algerians make against General Miles
is that even conceding that he has told the
truth about embalmed beef and other
things it was his duty to report the facts to
the Secretary of War at once and not wait
until the war was practically over before
making his disclosures. 1t is hoped by
Mr.. Alger's adherents to make out a suf-
ficient case against General Miles to at
least furnish pretext for relieving him
of his command. The friends of General
Miles, however, are confident that he will
be able TO block his game. Before the in
vestigation is finished they say Mr.. Alger
and his associates will be glad to drop
General Miles and cry quits.
Nothing" said an army officer today,
so plainly demonstrates the utter incom-
potency of the War Department as the
contrast between the campaigns in the
Orient and those in the West Indies. No
complaints have been heard from the Phil
ippines. Everything there has run smooth
| ly; each branch Of the service apparently
is in a high state of efficiency. 1t is not
difficult to understand the reason why. 1t
is because the Philippines are so far away
/ the War Department clique cannot med
/ die and mix things up. General Otis is
/ beyond the reach of the bureaucrats and
he may thank his stars for it, II the Phil
/ lppines had been as near as Cuba and Porto
! Rico there would have been, in all proba-
! blllty, the same nasty scandals that have
! developed in the latter places. Wherever
! Alger and his friends have had full swing
! blunders have been the order of the day
Secretary Hitchcock Comfng.-It is
expected that Ethan Allen Hitchcock, the
new Secretary of the Interior. will reach
! Washington in time TO take the oath of
Office next week. Mr.. Bliss has his trunks
| packed, and is prepared to leave the mo-
| ment his successor arrives. Mr. Bliss
! states that he has done with politics for
! good. There was a time when he had as
pirations TO become Governor OF New
| York but il is not likely that he Will con-
tract the fever again. He has made the
| discovery, 1t is understood that politics
| and business do not mix. II is said that
Secretary Hitchcock will not make. many
changes in his department, Every zCabi-
net officer, however. always has q number
| OF personal friends TO reward, and Mr..
| Hitchcock will probably be no exception
TO the rule. There is still few faithful
Republicans left in the State of Missouri,
II is understood, who have not been pro-
! vided with an Office, and, Judging from
| indications, they are preparing to de-
scend upon Secretary hitchcock in full
| force.