The Press., 1899-04-27
Washington Letter.

Gilmore and the boats crew of fourteen
men from the Yorktown, who are sup
posed to have either been killed or cap
tured by the Filipinos last week, and he
has cabled Admiral Dewey for all the in
formation he has; also for information
as to what steps have been taken to as
certain the fate of the men, or to secure
their release, If they are prisoners in the
hands of the Filipinos. Recent news
from the Philippines has been considered
in official circles to be decidedly favor
able, and to indicate that the backbone
of the revolt is broken, Notwithstanding
sensational publications to the contrary,
both in Europe and in this country. Of
ficials charge that an organized effort to
create sentiment against our retaining
the Philippines is responsible for most of
these stories.
Everything has an end. The beef in
quiry is over, and the court is now VOL k
ing upon its report, which is looked for
this week. Some very radical predictions
are being made as to the nature of the
report, such as that it will whitewash the
war department officials and censure Gen,
Miles and other officers who found fault
with the beef; but conservative men be-
lieve that the report. will be a different
sort of document that 1t will deal very
| lightly with censure for anybody, and
that it will aim TO be of such a nature
that all parties concerned can, without
loss of dignity, consent to drop the whole
controversy, which many think to have
already been productive of much more
harm than good. 1t will soon be known
| which of these predictions Is the correct
one, as the understanding is that the re-
port will be made public as soon as it is
submitted.
Senator Stewart of Nevada, whose long
service in the senate has made him an
authority upon the rules and regulations
of that body, was asked what action he
thought the senate would take if Mr.
Quay presented his appointment to the
senate, made by the governor of Penn
sylvania, following his acquittal on the
charge of criminal conspiracy by Phila-
delphia jury, and he said: "For the last
century the senate has been reversing
/ itself ON this question, but the last four
cases have been decided against the ap-
pointee, and if this precedent is main
tanned, Mr.. Quay will not be seated. But
| do not believe the senate will be called
on to decide this matter, as it is my opin-
ion that the Pennsylvania legislature will
be called in extra session before the next
session of congress, and Mr.. Quay will be
regularly elected" MI. Stewart, who is
Mr.. Quay's political opponent, said of the
result of his trial: II regard the verdict
of the jury in Senator Quay's trial as a
just one, and the only one that could have
been honestly rendered on the evidence
submitted. Senator Quay is infinitely
better than any of his opponents.
The fact that the contest for the speak
ership of the house, a position second
only to the presidency in importance, and
made by Mr.. Reed second in power over
legislation to none, which has been pre-
cipitated by the announcement that Mr..
| Reed had become a member of New
York law firm and would retire from pub
lie life, promises to be between the east
and the west is not surprising. OF the
thirty-two speakers of the house only
four-Keifer of Ohio, and Davis, Colfax
| md of Tn6i bax ho
west, while fifteen of them have been
| taken from the south and the other thir-
teen from the east. In ante-war times
the west was not sufficiently influential In
protest against not getting its share OF
the honors, but it is different now, espec-
tally in the house, where the west fur
nishes more than majority of the votes
of the party in control. This would seem
to make 1t easy to elect a western speak
er, and so it would If there were only one
candidate from that section, but there are
several; consequently there is no Ger.
tainty about the section that the next
speaker will come from. 1t is believed in
| Washington that the candidate who gets
the support of the administration will gel
the speskership, regardless of what state
he comes from. But it is a natural fail
ing for those in Washington to always
exaggerate official power, and to assume
that the administration will be the win
ming factor In all contests within the
party in power, >but there have been occa
sions wheh the administration candidate
for speaker has been defeated. President
McKinley's long experience in the house
will go long ways, however, towards en-
abling him to choose man for the ad
ministration candidate who can win, anC
the chances are decidedly in favor of his
doing that very thing. Representative
Payne of New York, who was chairman
of the ways and means committee of thu
last house, and floor leader of the major
ity, spent Sunday in Washington, ane
took occasion to publicly announce hi
candidacy for the speakership. He is thu
J first in the field, but there is no danger o
his becoming lonesome.
Friends of Vice President Hobart
whose health continues bad, deny the re
poIt that he had decided not to be can
didate for denomination. They say tina
he has not decided either to be or not t.
be candidate.