The Press., 1899-12-21
Washington Letter.
washington, Dec. 18. 1899.

The first and shortest step Of the flnan-
cial legislative programme, mapped out
for congress, was completed today when
the house passed the republican caucus
financial bill. The bill will now go to
the senate, where 1t Is likely to remain for
many weeks, and where the discussion
will be much longer than 1t was in the
house. It is understood that the senate
finance committee intends to pigeon-hole
the house bill, and report its own bill as q
substitute. II the senate endorses that
and passes its bill, that will 90 to the
substitute. Then the two bills will go to
conference committee, and the final re-
suit will probably be bill that will be a
compromise between the two.
Some men profit by the experience of
others, but Representative Sulzer, of New
York, Is evidently not one Of them. Not
withstanding the failure of Senator Mason
to make sensation with his speech of
sympathy for the Beers, Mr.. Sulzer has
gone step further and offered 1esolu-
tion In the house, declaring that this
government ought to recognize the bellig-
erencY of the Boer republic, and stated
his intention to make speech In it's favor
and to try to force it to vote. He may
be able to make speech, although that
is not certain, but 1t is quite sure that no
such resolution as that will be voted up
on. They do not belong to the legislative
branch of the government, and could not
get action, even when backed by over
whelming public sentiment, as was the
case with numerous resolutions just be-
fore our war with Spain.
Numerous gentlemen from New York
and Chicago, who came to Washington,
well provided with cash, gall, and mega
phones, have arrived at the conclusion
that Philadelphia is not 30 slow after all.
The reason for their change of mind was
the capture of the republican national
convention, which is to meet June 10th.
for Philadelphia, by majority of one
vote in the national committee. The
Chicago committee thought they had a
certainty and enjoyed themselves calling
Yorkers, while the Philadelphians were
Ao'OA
had even chance to be chosen.
Tho appointment of Maj. Gen. Leonard
Wood to be military governor of Cuba, is
considered by the president to be a long
step towards the restoration of civil gov
ernment on the island. Gen. Wood would
have been appointed civil governor, had
it not been strongly pointed out to Mr..
Mckinley, by Gen. Wood himself, as well
as many others, that the appointment OF
civil governor would have bad effect
at this time, among the Cubans, as 1t
would give the professional agitators q
foundation to build stories upon the in
tention of the U. s. to keep Cuba Al
though Gen. Wood will be military gov
ernor, his administration of the whole OF
Cuba, will be largely performed through
civilians, just as it has been in Santiago
province.
The senate has re-arranged all of its
committees and is now ready to get down
to business, but as 1t has been agreed that
congress shall adjourn until Jan. 3, on
Wednesday Of this week, and many sena.
tors have already left Washington, little
or no work of Importance will be done
until after these "old boys" have had
their Christmas.
The talk of making next years campaign
a short one was disposed Of by the action
of the republican national committee In
setting June 19, for the holding of their
national convention and 1t Is practically
certain that the democrats will fix the
date for their national convention close
to that chosen by their opponents, and
that the presidential campaign will be
about the usual length.