The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-11-23
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Nov. 20, 1895

friends, personally as well as politi-
cally, and the first thing Col. Hender-
son did after his arrival in Washing.
ton, for the session of Congress, was
to call at the White House and hold
long conference with the President
on the work that is expected to be
accomplished at this session. This
personal harmony between the Presi-
dent and the man who will preside
over the House augurs well for the
country and for the Republican party;
it means that the executive and legis-
lative branches of the government
are to work together much smoother
than they did in the last Congress.
The President and Mr.. Reed were
meyer the slightest bit unfriendly in
their personal relations, but there
were several important questions of
party policy on which they were not
only not in accord, but were actually
antagOnistic in their opinions. This
naturally led to embarrassment, and
in some cases to the failure altogether
of legislation which the President
would like to haye seen put through
Congress, but would not attempt to
push because of his belief that Mr..
Reeds opposition would give the
Democrats an opportunity to say that
the party in the House was divided
into factions, led by himself and Mr.
Reed. In the coming Congress, the
President and the Speaker of the
House will work together in all things,
fetal both to the country and to the
party.
Col. Henderson can hardly be said
to have opened headquarters, since
his unanimous nomination to be
Speaker by the Republican caucus
was assured many months ago, but
he is in his Office daily and is glad to
have members of the House call and
talk to him about their committee
assignments. There will be nothing
even remotely resembling a shake-up
among the old chairmen of the House
except in cases where they express
a wish for change, they are likely
to get their old places-but there are
several important chairmanships
vacant. For instance, that of the
Committee on the Judiciary, which
was filled by Col. Henderson in the
last House, and that of the Commit
tee on Banking and Currency, held
by Mr.. Joseph Walker, of Massachu-
setts, who was not a candidate for re-
election to the present House.
Whether the ranking Republicans on
those committees will be made chair
men, or new men be put at their
heads, is question that Col. Hender-
son will decide, and he declines to say
publicly one word about either the
committees or the work of Congress,
saying that he prefers acts to his
talking. There is some talk about a
change in the House rules, but the
confidence of members of the House
in Col. Henderson is so great that it
is perfectly safe to say that his wishes
will be allowed to govern the matter
entirely, and that any changes will
be made upon his suggestions.
The board which has been cansider-
ing the bids recently submitted to the
Navy Department for the construc-
tion of the six armored cruisers pro-
vided for by the last Congress, has
recommended that each of the fol-
lowing firms shall be award ed a con-
tract TO build one cruiser: Union Iron
Works, San Francisco; Lewis Nixon
Crescent Ship-building Works.,
Elizabethport, N. j.; Bath Iron
Works, Bath, Me-; Trigg Ship-build-
ing Company, Richmond, Va, Fore
River Engine Company, Braintree,
Mass, and Neafie & Levy, Philadel-
phia, Pa. The recommendation must
be acted upon by Secretary Long be-
fore it becomes effective, but there is
no doubt of its approval. The price
for each cruiser, exclusive of armor,
slightly exceeds one million dollars.
Owing to the large Republican ma
jority in the Senate of the Congress
shortly to assemble, the Senate Com
mittees will be changed so as to give
the Republicans nine of the commit
tees having thirteen members and
seven of those having eleven. This
will make the Finance Committee
anti-silver for the first time in years,
and will insure the prompt reporting
of any financial bill that the Repub-
lican leaders may wish to pass. This
will be fair apportionment of the
committee memberships, as the Re-
publicans will have fifty-one Senators,
without taking account of the four
vacancies-one each from California,
Delaware, Pennsylvania and Utah
if Senator Haywood, of Nebraska,
lives, and fifty if he dies and is sue
ceeded by Populist,
1, L. ,A