The times., 1899-03-20
GENERAL WASHINGTON
iO NEWS AND GOSSIP


country, for the next few years Vice
President Garret A. Hobart, Senator
Hanna, Former Secretary Cornelius n.
Bliss Col. John G. Moore. and half
dozen other distinguished Republican
leaders will participate in the Jekyl Island
pow-wow. Mr.. Mckinley and Mr.. Reed
have never been close personal friends.
They were rival aspirants for the Speaker
ship in the Fifty-first Congress. Mr.. Reed
won easily, but he generously appointed
Mckinley to the craftsmanship of the
Ways and Means Committee, which made
him the leader on the floor and gave him
an opportunity to win national reputa-
tion as the author of the Mckinley bill.
However. the Mckinley bill defeated the
Republican party and brought about Mr..
McKinley's retirement from Congress. Ac
cording to the established rules Mr.. Nc
Kinley's political career should have closed
then, but, as subsequent events proved. ii
had only just begun. He was taken up and
elected Governor of Ohio and six years
later he landed in the White House-the
ultimate goal of every ambitious states
man Mr.. Reed resented, his friends say,
Mr.. McKinley's being preferred over him.
self by the Republican party. He felt
that he was an ADLER man than Mckinley,
and was entitled to the Presidential nomi-
nation at the st. Louis convention. What
made Mr.. Reed particularly bitter was the
conviction that Senator Hanna or some of
Mr. McKinley's managers had tampered
with a good many of Reeds delegates from
the South. His caustic comments upon
this subject would make very interesting
reading should they ever be collected and
published. From the beginning of Mr..
McKinleys Administration Mr.. Reed has
occupied an attitude of emi-hostility to
the President. 1t has apparently been his
fixed purpose 10 thwart every pet project
of the Administration. After the defeat of
the Nicaragua Canal bill toward the close
of the last session the friends of Mr.. Nc
Kinley made up their minds that some
thing must be done; that II Mr.. Reed
would not promise to mend his ways and
cease entagonizing the Administration that
his election as Speaker of the next House
must be prevented at all hazards. Steps
have actually been taken, 1t is said by
members of the Administration circle. to
keep Mr. Reed out of the Speakers chair.
1t was made plain. however, very soon
after the movement started that the doing
up of Reed was a pretty large contract, and
that even if successful it would be likely
to make very serious break in the ranks
OF the Republican party. 1t was decided
to make final effort to bring about a
better understanding between the President
and Mr.. Reed in the interest of harmony.
Col John C. Moore the man who took
Mr.. Reed to Jelyl Island, is Wall Street
magnate, and occupies the closest kind
of relations with Mckinley. Probably no
better man to act as peacemaker could
have been selected.
Politicians in Washington are inclined to
be skeptical over the prospect of bringing
about a complete reconciliation between
Mr.. Reed and Mr.. Mckinley. LAS long as
Hanna stands at McKinley's elbow" said
a friend of Speaker Reed last night. Mr..
Reed will make no deal with the President.
Mr.. Reed hates and despises Hanna and
does not trust him. If Mr.. Mckinley can
find some way to shake off Hanna and get
away from his baleful influence there
would be some show OF Reed and Mckinley
getting together. But | fear that Mr.. Nc
Kinley will not be equal to the occasion
Mr.. Reed is too smart man TO tie himself
up to Algerism, Shafterism, Eaganism
Sampsonism, and Hannaism. which is what
an alliance between Reed and Mckinley
would amount TO under present conditions
Mr. Reed has very little to gain by joining
the Administration circle. He can never
hope to reach the Presidency by that route
and no one realizes that fact any more than
Thomas 3. Reed
The Attack on General Wheeler
Il think. said usually well-informed
and observant politician yesterday, that l
can suggest a motive for the present at
tack on Gen. Joseph Wheeler. l be-
lieye that you will find it to be an attempt
to sidetrack a growing Presidential boom.
The growth of Wheeier's popularity has
been phenomenal and the Administration
is naturally concerned. The attacks on
Wheeler all come from the inner Admins
tration circle which is in itself significant.
The purpose of the attacks is obviously to
discredit him in the estimation of the
American public and destroy his popular
ity They will not succeed. The people OF
this country know how to discriminate too
well for that. Wheeler's place of residence
may prevent his becoming a serious Presi-
Dental possibility, but the Administration
contingent that are assailing him ought
to realize that they are going to work in
the best way to make Wheeler formidable
rival to. Mckinley. Over in New York last
week / heard some talk of n combination
to nominate Wheeler on a ticket with
Roosevelt Roosevelt and Wheeler has a
catching sound. Who can tell what may
happen next year? In the great field OF
politics the scene is constantly shifting,
the certainty of today often becomes quite
the reverse a few weeks or months hence"
is the only State now where a senatorial
contest is still in progress Three States
Delaware. Utah. and California, have failed
to elect Senators, and If the Pennsylvania
Legislature adiourns without electing any
one, as now seems probable, there will be
four vacant seats in the Senate when that
body next assemblies. Senator Quay's
friends are still pegging away, and 1t was
fad los niphf that n final effort would
be made at Harrisburg this week to pull
him through. IF the legislature adiourns
at Harrisburg" said Quay man yester-
day. Without electing anyone, Governor
Stone will appoint Quay Senator.
know that the Senate established a prece-
dent against admitting Senators who were
appointed in this way, after a legislature
had failed to elect. but there are prece-
dents in the past the other way. and fur
thermore Mr.. Quay was one OF the Sem
ators who voted to seat the men who pre-
sented themselves with gubernatorial COM
missions few years ago. Precedents can
be and have been reversed in the Senate.
Mr.. Quay's popularity with the older Sem
ators will help him If he should ask to be
admitted on q governors certificate. A
test case will be made with Mr.. Quay. and
of course II he should be seated the Gov
ernors of Delaware. Utah. and California
Wouie uuHeuidteiy appoint SeHatoTs. Inc
Republicans will have forty-six or forty
seven straight Republican votes in the
new Senate anyway, which will give them
clear majority. However Quay can
count on obtaining Democratic votes, as
the question of his eligibility is not likely
to be made party matter"
Fair Play Always In Order.
{ "From the Boston Globe)
After all, even multimilionairc has some
rights which, people less wealthy in this worlds