The Mena star., 1899-05-04
Candidates Conducting Campaign of Unusual Ardor Considering
 the Long Time to Election.
FEARS ABOUT TIE DRAINAGE CANAL.
After All the Millions of Dollars spent Up on the Project There Is a Possibility That the Chicago Canal Can Never Be Used Because 1t May Lower the Level of Lake Michigan.

Washington, May 2-Candidates for the speakership of the house of repre- sentatives are conducting a campairn of unusual ardor, considering the lonp time ahead of the election. While sey- eral of them say they are making ma terial headway and Sherman, of New York, seems to be in the lead. there is indicated growing disposition on the part of representatives to preserve a. non-committal attitude at this stage of the proceedings. Com binations are under way looking to possible ad- vantages in the election of speaker. disposition of patronage and of chair manship assignments. An element which will figure as much in this con- test as personality of the candidate will be distribution of committees and chairmanships. The talk of selecting speaker upon lines of geographical division, scramble between east and west grows out of this feature. The currency question will be removed as factor in the speakership con test if the republican caucus com mittee now in session in Atlantic City agrees upon plan of cur rency reform. If not, the question will immediately become keen issue. In that event the eastern men will re- double their efforts to control the cleo tion of speaker and subsequent ap- pointment of a currency committee. They will not want to take any chances en the eve of R presidential election. In such contingency there also would be a break in the western combination now forming because at least one of the western states, Wisconsin, and possibly two or three, would go with the most conservative sentiment of the east upon the currency question.
 Fears About the Drainage Canal.
 Washington, May 2.-After all the millions spent upon the Chicago drain age canal there is possibility, if not a probability, that it will never be put into practical use. The reason is that it is likely to lower the level of Lake Michigan. Col. Marshall, the army officer in charge of the engineers office at Chicago, has expressed his opinion to the war department that the opera NAOAi VI tiiS NsNhuA Nlll CCACdlnly ustNc this effect The report has alarmed the war department. 1t is mainly because of it that Secretary Alger has gone to Chicago to look into the canal project. The department has al- ready informed the canal company that it must put in gate at the entrance of the canal, and that permission to let lake water in the canal m11st be ob- tained from congress The canal com pany has been counting upon getting this permission from the department. It had been arranged that the first inflow of water from the lake into the canal was to occur October 9, which is the anniversary of the great Chicago fire. This programme cannot be carried out, in view of the present attitude of the war depart ment. Congress will not meet until December, and it will be some time after the assembling of congress be- fore it will be possible to get the ques- tion of opening the canal up for con- sideration. If the canal should lower the level of the lake great damage would be done to all of the ports on the lake, on the Canadian as we'll as on the American side. Canada would of course, at once protest and serious international question would be the result.