The times., 1899-05-03
GENERAL POLITICAL
NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The spenkershin.-rhe contest for tn,

The speni<ership.-The contest for the
| SPeakership of the Fifty-s.xth Congress
may culminate much sooner than anyone
outside of the inner Administration cirela
| may imagine. 1t was stated last night on
| the highest authority that the President
| was seriously considering the adyisabliity
| OF calling an extra session OF Congress TO
| pass upon matters in connection with the
Philippines and our possessions in the
West Indies. The chief reason, it is under
stood. why the Administration did not
| favor the extra session right after the eX-
piration of the Fifty-fifth Congress in
! March was. it is said. due to the fact that
Mr.. Reed held the whip hand of the sit
uation, and that in the event OF an extra
session he would become the Speaker. Mr..
/ Reeds withdrawal having removed this o.
| stacle. the Administration has been free
| to act in any direction it sees fit. The
elimination OF Thomas B. Reed from the
| arena has left the President and his sup
| porters in complete control of the situa-
| tion. They can now make plans with some
assurance that they will be carried cut.
The Administration, it is understood. be-
! lieved that an extra session was absolute
ly necessary, and the only thing that has
prevented the President from calling it has
/ been the fear that elements antagonlstic
|
| ering. The disappearance of Reed places
another phase on the situation. The Ad-
ministration is no longer afraid of the tre-
| mendous individuality of the gentleman
| from Maine. 1t feels. so far as the Speak
ership is concerned, that it can afford TO
stand back and say: Let the best man
win" However. this is not the programme
mapped out by the gentlemen who are sup
posed to control the movements OF the Nc
kinley Administration.
1t is perfectly apparent to the most
casual observer that the Hon. James 5.
| Sherman is not only the candidate of tie
Administration, but that he is favored by
the representatives of the trusts and cor
porate interests. They believe that Sher-
man is their kind of man. and they are
accordingly most enthusiastic in his sup
| port. If an extra session should be called
forthwith. the chances are that Sherman
would win. 1t is the general impression,
however, that Mr.. Sherman cannot hold
the delegation from his own State beyond
the first or second ballot in the caucus.
|
Mr.. Quay's POsitiOn.-Apropos of the
position in national affairs which the Hon.
| Matthew Stanley Quay occupies 1t is in
| teresting to note that he has boldly de-
! clared his intention to re-enter the arena
of local politics in the keystone State In
fact, Mr.. Quay proposes to shed his coat
! net only in a literal sense but actually in
the hot days of the summer near at hand.
and make fight In his native county OF
Beaver for the position of delegate to the
Republican State Convention which will be
held In August to nominate a candidate for
| State Treasurer and candidate for Judge
OF the Superior Court. 1t will be the first
time for several years that Mr.. Quay has
taken an active interest in county politics,
| and, in fact will be, IL he Is elected the
first time since 1895 that he has posed as
a delegate at State convention. The con-
vention Of 1895, it will be recalled, was the
memorable occasion in which he was op-
posed by the Chris. Magee- Dave Martin
combine. 1t will be like old times to Penn
| syiyania Republicans to see Quay, accord
ing to his well known custom. with coat of
and shirt sleeves rolled up hard at work
among the delegates.
| The baltimore EIection.-The resuJ,
of the mayoralty election in Baltimore
yesterday was just about what was ex-
pected. The defeat of Mayor Malster was
| apparently foregone conclusion from the
start, but his friends did not anticipate
such an emphatic reputation of him as
was administered. Up to the last moment
| his supporters laid claim to the city; they
| apparently did not believe that he could
be defeated.
The election of Thomas G. Hayes as
Mayor of Baltimore places him in the first
rank of eligibIes for the Governorship. II
also practically insures the Stath of Mary
land to the Democracy in 1900. While
everybody practically admitted that Mr.
Hayes would be elected, very few Republi-
can leaders anticipated that he would &c
through with the big majority that he re-
ceived Mayor-elect Hayes is now quite
an important parsonage in Baltimore
More than local significance is attached to
his victory. 1T Is received in some quar-
ters as a rebuke to the Presidents course
in retaining Mr.. Alger on his staff.