The Press., 1899-03-16
Washington Letter.
washington March 13, 1899.
when the cats away

| "~shAn&tOn LeCUeFs
Washington March 13, 1s99
when the cats away
| The mice will play."
Hon. Thomas Bracket Reed had not
been away from Washington twenty-foul
hours, before active agitation was begun
oy members OF hissparty in an effort to
prevent his being reelected speaker of the
house. This has become an old story In
Washington, although there appears to
be more life in the present movement than
In any one of its numerous predecessors.
1t Is most positively stated by the agita-
tors that the administration wishes Mr..
Reed defeated, because of the manner In
which he treated the administration
measures in the last congress, some OF
which were entirely hung up and none Of
which went through as originally intended
and that II there Is any show of defeating
him, 1t will openly throw it's influence
against him. That is very big ''if "
There are lots Of men in his party who
would do the very same thing, except for
that II, but who do not care to antagonize
him, unless sure they could beat him.
There are reasons which cause veteran
observers of congressional matters 10
think that II Mr.. Reed wishes the speaker
ship again, nothing can prevent his get
ting 1.-THE report that he will not take it
Is again revived. Chief among these
reasons is that all the chairmen of import
ant committees in the last house, among
whom are some of the shIewdest and most
Influential men in public life, will support
Mr.. Reeds candidacy, because, by his
election, they will besuIe to get the same
places in the next house. No man in
public life has stronger personality than
MIR. Reed; that is admitted by his friends
and enemies alike. He lost popularity
during the last congress by getting on the
unpopular side of every important matter
that came before that body, and probably
destroyed what chance he may have had
to ever become presidential candidate,
but a much stronger combination than
there Is now any signs of will have to be
formed before his domination of his party
in the house can be broken.
There are wide differences of opinion
among members Of his own party, con-
cerning statements made by Representa-
tive Cannon, of Ills, about the defeat of
legislation authorizing the construction of
the Nicaragua canal. Mr.. Cannon thinks
the house deserves credit for knocking
out that legislation and providing for
spending million dollars on another
engineer commission, before the last CON-
mission has even completed its full re-
port in favor of the Nicaragua route.
Others do not, and among those others is
said to be the president. Here Is another
point upon which others do not agree
with MI. Cannon: s"The U. S. cannot
afforct7 to- enter rapeaf this great work, an |
til it has acquired by a treaty a zone of
territory whereon to construct the same.
Lawyers of reputation have stated on the |
floor of the senate and the house that no |
such treaty was necessary. The lobbyists
who actually did prevent useful canal
legislation are doubtless pleased at Mr..
Cannon's effort to relieve them Of the
and place 1t upon his party,
out other members of his party are vieor-
ously objecting.
An official Of the navy department said
II the new batch of yellow yarns about
TERRIBLE condition of Admiral Dewey's
health: "While it is not likely that a man
VI Deweys age-almost 60 and physique
'ould remain in tropical waters as long
IS he has been there without showing
igns of the effects of the climate, not to
nention the nervous strain he has been
mder since the first of last May, have
10 fear of his remaining In Manila Bay
'ntll he breaks down. He Is there now
imply because he wishes to be, as for
months he has had official permission to
tart for home at any time he desired to
10 80. He is too level headed to strain
us strength too far. You can set 1t down
S certain that his physical condition is
ot as bad as the yellows have painted it.
Gen. Fitz Lees withdrawal of his name
S candidate for the senate, was no sur
rise to the Virginia politicians who fire.
uent Washington. They say it has been
vident for some time that Gen. Lee would
ut no figure in the senatorial campaign,
l that Senator Martin would be his own
uccessor
An official statement prepared at the
'ar department gives the total number of
eaths in our army from May 1, 1898, to
'eb. %, 1899, as 5,731. OF these 329 were
illed in action, 1876 died of wounds, and
,277 died of diseases, etc.
Now that the president, the vice presi-
ent and their wives have gone to Thom-
sville, Ca, as the guests of Senator
anna, it may be said that the capital of
Ne U. S. has been temporarily removed
} Crackerdom. How long the president
Il party will reman in Dixie will depend
pom public business. The war depart
lent is expecting important news from
10 Philippines, and its nature may d.
'rmine the length OF the presidents va
alton