The times., 1899-03-10
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Mckinley and Rced.-The report that

Mckinley and Rccd.-The report that
the Administration would antagonize the
election of Thomas Bracket Reed as
Speaker of the next House has been re-
Vived. 1t has been in circulation for some
time and apparently is well founded. Close
friends OF MIR. Reed say that it is true
and are making preparations according y
However. the statement that Repre- s5nta-
tive James S. Sherman of Utica y. V.
would become the Administration can
dIdate against Mr.. Reed is not received
seriously. Mr.. Sherman, just b5fore the
close of the Fifty-fifth Congr IS. was ap-
pointed and confirmed by the : nate as on :
of the General Appraisers OF the Port OF
New York. The position is practically foT
life. and carries salary of $1,000 a year
While Mr.. Sherman has not actually en-
tered upon the performance of t1e duties
of his Office. and. he can still decline and
retain his position as a member of the
House. il is not thought that he Will co
so. He was appointed to the appraiser
ship upon his own earnest sol citation, and
according to his friends he has 10 idea
OF declining the Office in order TO enter
the field against Mr.. Reed. Mr.. Sh r
man is near TO McKinley, and was sug-
sested at the beginning Of the present Ad-
ministration for a Cabinet position. He
would have liked to have been asked.
it is understood, TO preside over the De
partment of Justice.
The announcement of the Administra-
tion's programme to reduce Mr.. Reed TO
the ranks will not be news TO the readers S
Of The Times,
The President. 1t is understood, was
quite reluctant 10 enter upon an open
war with Mr. Reed. Every effort was
made, it is said. to bring about n salts
factory agreement or understanding be
tween the Speaker and the President, but
all the oyertures for peace made by the
latter were spurned and treated with con-
tempt so that there was practically no
other course open to Mr.. Mckinley but to
fight 1t is not the intention of the Ad-
ministration at this time to disclose its
hand and trCt out its rival to Mr.. Reed.
but it can be set down as an assured fact
that at what is regarded as the proper
time some man will be brought forward
| by the President to antasouize Speaker
Reed.
The contest is likely to become historical
and may have a most important bearing
| on the Presidential campaign next year.
Reed jealousy of Mckinley is well known
! 1t is of long standing and appears 10 have
| become chronic. In discussing this subject
| a leading Republican said last night: Il
| am sorry that events have 20 shaped them
| selves as to force the President to fight
| Reed. Mr.. Reed is OF course a tough Gus
toner. and he can make a great deal o.
| trouble but Mr. Mckinley has demon
| strated that he is pretty good politician
and | am satisfied that he will prove to b'
equal 10 the present emergency. Mr. Reef
was given every opportunity to adjust mat
| ters on q satisfactory basis. but declined t,
! avail himself of it. That the Administra
tion can defeat Mr.. Reed for Speaker o
! the Fifty. .. xth Congress if it makes a de
termined stand is the conviction of th'
| great majority of conservative observers
Some Western man will be picked cut 10
the Administration forces to rally around
II may BE- Henderson of Iowa, or Hopkin
of Illinois, or some unknown. but the de
| cision is in favor of a man from the West
There is method in this, of course. Tn
bulk of the Republican membership Of tn
next House will be composed of Westerl
men. They will be in the majority, an
should in the natural order Of things d0mi
nate the House 1t will be easier to defea
Reed with a Western man than with Nj
Sherman or anyone from the Easter
| States | regret the necessity 20 Oppos
Mr.. Reed. however, as he is no; likely L
retire without a struggle. and a great dea
of friction may result. Mr.. Reed can ais
iion from the floor. The President believe
that If Mr.. Reed. however, can be reduce
to the ranks in the House that he viii ba
come more tractable. Anything would b
preferable, he thinks. TO the reelection c
Mr.. Reed as Speaker
The NATIONAL Conventions. - Ne
York is entitled TO the credit of being tn
first city that has actually entered th
field to capture both OF the political la
tOnal conventions next year. commit
tee has been appointed by the Board O
Trades of New York to lcok after the mat
ter. New York has had a hankering TO
i political national convention for a goo
many years but it has usually waited unit
the eleventh hour before making any NOV
toward securing it. In the present in
stance New York appears to be leading IN
procession, but whether it will result i
either of the national conventions bein
held in that city next year is doubtful. Ne'
/ York possesses many attractions as con
vcntion city. IL has a building 5uitabl
for the purpose. and it can also aCCOmmo
| date all of the visitors that are usual
in attendance upon every convention with
out the slightest inconvenience. Wha
| appeals to the newspaper men who ar
accustomed to report the proceedings {
national conventions is that there wOulC
in all probability, be ample taiegrap
facilities at hand for the Transmission 9
dispatches if the conventions should b
held in New York. 1t is safe to say tha
the national convention. next year will b
either held in New York or Chicago y
other cities. it is believed, will b. seri
ousy considered By either national cOm
mittee After the experience CT the RepGh
licans at Minneapolis in 1882 and at s.
Louis in 1886, the leaders of that organiza
ticn are convinced that ii is mistake {
hold their convention in any place outsid
Of Chicago or New York. The Democrat
] leaders also hold similar views. The
J selected Chicago in 1896. although tha
J town offered no special Inducements TO oh
tain the convention
Mr. Croker and his friends will. Il
doubt endeavor to have the Democrat
, National Convention of 1900 held in Ne
York The supporters of Bryan will. un
doubtedly. favor Chicago. and as they NJ
in control of the Democratic Nation;
J Committee the chances are that the :atte
city will be selected. However, If Ne
/ York offers sufficient inducements it n1
stand show OF getting the Republica
National Convention.
Suffers Great LabOrs u; Home.
n (From the New ork SUM-