The times., 1899-02-19
GENERAL WASHINGTON
News AND GOSSIP.

The Riverf aaI Harbor Bill in
D"nEer.-The outlook for the passage of
the River and Harhor appropriation bill
at the present sessi on is highly conjeo
turai' The tacking on of the Hepburn
Nicaragua Canal bill as an amendment in
| the senate Will, ii is believed, prevent any
| measure appropriating money for rivers
and harbors beconife{g law at the present
| time Senator Morgan and other friends
| OF the Nicaragua CJpa! project in the Sen
| ATE are determined that some provision
snail be made for the Nicaragua Canal
| matter at the present session. Unless the
| House accept the River and Harbor bi |
| with the Nicaragua Canal amendment it
VIII be defeated, as it is morally certain
| that the Senate will not recede from the
| position which it has taken on this sub
| Ject. The Senate. as rule, is always more
| insistent than the House in standing by its
amendments, but in this particular case it
caDsbe relied upon, it is believed, to make
more vigorous fight than usual for main
tanning Its position. Speaker Reed is
known TO be secretly opposed to the N.ca
ragua Canal scheme, and he will probably
be slow to yield. A tug of war is in sight
on this point between the two houses.
Even with the prospect of an extra sezs.on
IN sight there are a good many reasons
why the gentlemen interested in the River
and Harbor bill do not want that measure
10 be defeated at this session. If 1t should
fail OF enactment and go over to an extra
session the whole ground would have to BE-
gone over again, and the chances are that
large number of nice little Jobs that have
been smuggled into the pend. .ng bill would
never see the light of day again. Rather
than see all of their pet schemes fall TO
the ground 1t is believed that a majority
OF the members OF the House will vote to
concur in all of the Senate's amendments
to the River and Harbor bill
Theodore ROOseveIts TroubIes.-
Governor Roosevelt is not having alto
gether plain sailing in steering the shin
OF state in New York, judging from all ac-
counts. Apparently he is having copsid-
cradle difficulty in managing certain Rough
Riders in the State Senate. The Republi-
cans have only two majority in that body
ana one or two kicking Senators have it in
their power to make Governor Roosevelt
great deal of trouble. Henry ]. Cog
geshall of Oneida county, Roscoe Conk-
ing S. old home, is the leader in the revolt
against Roosevelt domination CoggeshaIl
is veteran. He used to be "Conkling
otaiwart, and is always spelling for a
night. He has been read out of the Repub-
llcan party upon numerous occasions. but
ne always manages to get back. He was
elected TO the State Senate last fall by a
very close shave. Coggeshall refuses to
vote 10 confirm some of Roosevelt's ap-
pointments, and he also threatens to op-
pose some OF his reform measures when
they make their appearance in the Legis-
iature 1t is charged that he has made a
deal with Tammany Hall, but this. of
course, is only conjecture. What makes
the situation at Albany all the more in
teresting is that Coggeshall has deied the
Piatt machine so often in the past, and
dared il TO do its worst that Its threats
have now no terrofstfor him. 1t is admitted
by Roosevelts friends that he has a hard
nut to crack in, the person of Coggeshall
Unless he can bring. that gentleman over
to his side most of his plans for reforming
the Empire State WILL it is believed. come
to naught.
some Montana Poiitics.-rhe"e is an
interesting bit of gossip going the rounds
in connection with the recent election of
the multimillionaire mining king, w. A.
Clark, of Montana, to the United States
senate The story concerns an alleged deal
between Thomas Henry Carter, Repub-
iican Senator from Montana and Mr.
Clark.s4Mr. Clark, according to the report
gave Senator Carter valuable assistance at
the time he was elected to the Senate sew
eral years ago. 1ns faet,sit is stated that it
was Clark's influence or something that
was chiefly instrumental in securing the
senatorial prize for Carter. The eleven Re
publican members OF the Montana Legis-
lature who jumped over the traces and
voted for Clark, making his election pos
sible, 1t is pointed out were all friends OF
Carter. OF course 1t may be only one OF
those condolences" that are SO mystify-
ing to the ordinary. layman, but the fact
remains that Mr.. Carter will himself be a
candidate for reelection in the near fu-
ture and he will, It is believed, need all
the help that he can get to pull through
Senator Carter has occupied very irving
position for the past few years He has
endeavored TO keep one foot in the silver
camp and the other in the Republican
party. The strain on his anatomy must
have been tremendous but Senator Carter
has been equal 10 it. He has borne It
manfully. But, notwithstanding Mr. Car
ters remarkable gymnastic feat, IL has
been recently believed in Montana that
Garter was dead duck politically in
the State; that he stood no show what
ever of returning TO the Senate after the
expiration of his present term II looks
now, however, as though Senator Carter
had cast an anchor to the windward and
secured a new lease of political life by
coming TO Clark's rescue. In his early
days Senator Carter was a lightning rod
agent. There is a tradition that only very
smart citizens ever go into this business
Senator Carter is not likely to DESTROY the
tradition, In the estimation of his friends