The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-22
Clark's Tainted Credentials Pre-
sented in the Senate.
A SPECIAL SESSION SURE
Many Indications That Mckinley Will
Be Forced to Call One-Lost in
the Vortex of Imperi-
aliSn1.
Washington Bureau of the Standard,
No. 1145 G Street n. W.

Mantle this week presented the tainted
credentials of William A. Clark to the
Senate. 1t is one of the duties of re-
firing senators to thus place on record
the credentials of their successors. Mr..
Clark's Helena document is in the usual
form and differs not whit from the
others presented this year The win
dication" of the Helena grand jury was
not attached: neither was any certifi-
cate by the state treasurer of the pos
session by the commonwealth of Mon
tana of 100000 in currency that some
one invested in the hope of influencing
the senatorial election. However, there
is strong likelihood that the senate will
hear more of these things; in fact they
are Familiarity known already, and q
number of senators do not take kindly
to the seating of recognized Doodle
candidate. No one knows what course
the opposition to Clark may take here,
but that it exists is made plainly APP
parent in the conversation of sena-
tors.
Senator Mantle will remain in the
city for some time after the adjourn
ment of congress in connection with
the work of the United States indus
trial commission. Congressman Hart
man will leave for home on the 9th of
March, His successor. Hon. A. j.
Campbell, is here, familiarizing him
self somewhat with his new duties, and
Mr.. Hartman is showing him about the
city and capitol.
Senator Carter has been making a
hard fight to get the new Alaska code
adopted at the present session. In his
eagerness he ran counter to Senator
Hale on several propositions, and one
result of the collision is that he has
had to drop out of his bill all but the
criminal code, and even that will have
hard shedding. This code was prepared
by Judge A. c. Botkin and carefully
reviewed by the senate committee on
territories.
There are now many indications that
President Mckinley will be forced.
against his desire. to summon the
Fifty-sixth congress in extraordinary
session. He has announced that he
will take this course if the army bill
fails, and at present it looks as though
this measure was lost beyond hope of
salvation in the present congress. At
this writing the fate of the $20,000,000
appropriation to pay Spain for her dia-
phanous title TO the Philippine group
ed as it originated. in the house. be-
cause, under the rules of that body,
appropriation could not be made until
it was authorized by law" This atti-
tude of the house. however can only
temporarily block the adoption of the
$4,000, 900 appropriation for the Philip
pines, as the senate can and will add
it to one of the pending general APP
preparation bills, which will give it a
status it does not possess as a house
proposition. But the delay in the adop-
ton of the appropriation will certainly
operate to procrastinate the important
legislation of the present session and
to increase the necessity of an extra
session.
If President Mckinley really summons
an extraordinary session of congress, it
will be called for the 18th of March. or
Whereabouts, that is to say from 10 to
Is days after the adjournment Of the
regular session. There is no reason TO
believe that the extra session will last
more than 80 days. The new congress
will undoubtedly respond with alacrity
to whatever suggestions of legislation
are made by the presidents advisers.
The senate will be more heavily re-
publican than that body has been in 10
years. The house of representatives is
very close, but it will be made to act
promptly enough under the drastic
Reed rules, which have converted the
house from a representative body to a
petty personal despotism.
The democratic and silver members
of the senate seem to be widely at vari-
ance as to the political effect of an ex-
ira session. Many believe it will enable
the administration to clear all possible
stumbling blocks out of it's course and
to steer clear of all possible embarrass-
ments between now and the next pres
idential election. Others are earnest in
the belief that. if a special session is
called. the republican party will be
hopeessly lost in the vortex Of imper-
ialism. 1T might he possible for the
republican party to avoid this diem
ma" said a leading senator of that
party to-day, particularly if we had
time to await the sober second judg-
ment of the people. But there is no
hope of escape now. Just now all the
leaders are riotous annexationists and
imperialists and will so record their
views at any extraordinary session
that may be called. Long before the
regular session of next winter-the one
preceding the presidential election
imperialism will be as dead as Julius
Caesar, and the party that advocated
it will be clad in ready-made cerements
for its sarcophagus."
Whatever the immediate result of the
special SESSION on national politics it
grows daily more and more apparent
that there is to be realignment of
parties on the question of the annex
alton of the Philippines. This new
alignment was outlined this week by
Gordon Woodbury., member of the gold
democratic national committee from
New Hampshire. Mr.. Woodbury., who
is the editor of the Manchester Union,
has been visiting here for the last fort
night. He was a delegate to the Chi
cago convention, afterward became a
bolter and attended the indianapolis
convention. In an interview in the
Post he is quoted as saying:
'Hooray for Bryan! AS between Nc
kinley and imperialism and Bryan and
free silver, I would vote for Bryan ev-
cry time"
What is the trouble with Mckinley"
he was asked.
I'm the first place" was his answer,
he has done nothing toward redeeming
the pledges made by him for a reform
of the currency-pledges which secured
for him the votes of enough democrats
to make his election certain. Even now,
when he knows that the next house is