The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1899-11-23
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 20.


Republican members of the House
are scrambling as eagerly as though
the big prize-the Speakership-had
not been awarded months ago. The
clairmanships of committees and the
patronage of the House are prizes for
which they are now struggling Can
non and Hit, both of Illinois, have
been assured of retaining their places
at the head Of the Appropriation and
Foreign committees; consequently
there is no fight upon either of them,
not because the selections are ac-
quiesced in but because they know
that fighting will be useless. The big
gest fight is over the craftsmanship of
the Ways and Means Committee,
which carries with 1t the floor leader
ship of the party. Payne, of New
York, was chairman of that committee
after the death of Mr.. Dlngley, in the
last House, and he claims it again.
But several other members, including
Dalzell, of Pennsylvania, and Hopkins,
of Illinois, think they have equal
claims, and as Mr.. Payne is not over
popular with members they are getting
strong backing. The fact that Illinois
is already booked for two big chair
manships will probably operate against
Hopkins. A big shake-up is likely IN
the membership of the committee on
Banking and Currency, which was
packed by Reed for the especial pur-
pose of preventing its reporting a fl
nancial bill In this House 1t is to be
packed for the purpose of reporting a
financial bill, the one declaring for the
single gold standard, to which Mr..
Henderson is thoroughly committed.
The job of reorganizing the Committee
was made easy for Mr.. Henderson by
the failure of some of its most prom
inent members, including its chairman
aloe" Walker, of Mass.-to return tc
the house. The old Reed officers OF
the House are all fighting for re-elec,
ton.
The latest imperialistic dream in
cludes combination between thu
government, Great Britain, and Ger
many, for the purpose of dominating
the commerce and preserving th'
peace of the world. Some believ,
that this combination has already beer
partially made.
The Cruiser Charleston, wrecked
off the coast of the island OF Luzon
although one of the Oldest ships of ou
new navy, was worth more than half
million dollars, and that sum may nov
be added to the large and rapidl
growing amount that this country
paying for imperialism.
What readers of this paper hav
known for sometime that Boss Plat
was scheming to get Gov. "Teddy
Roosevelt Oh the ticket with MIR. Nj
Kinley next year-is beginning to b
fully understood by friends of oth'
would-be running mates OF MIR. M
Kinley. That Platt was working vii
the knowledge and consent of Roos
welt has been suspected from the hrs
and now it is practically certall
Roosevelt told prominent New Yol
Republican the other day that If Il
party managers wished him to run f
the Vice Presidency he would acceT
Humph! of course he would acceI
and be almighty glad of the oppo
tunity, too.
According to what seems to
trustworthy information, the admin
tration is secretly dlckering wi
Aguinaldo. 1t is said that Gen. OF
was instructed to open communicate
with Aguinaldo and submit certs
propositions from this government
him, and that Otis replied that ne h
forwarded the dispatches to Gen. nj;
Arthur, with instructions to get tht
to Aguinaldo, If he could IND nj
Not a word of information as to
nature of the propositions submit
to Aguinaldo, or rather which t
government is trying to submit to hi
can be had in official circles, furtt
than a statement that they relate
Spanish prisoners.
Why the preliminary report OF
Philippine Commission, which
forced by Mr.. Mckinley for use
Ohio did not throw any boquets
Gen. Otis has been ascertalned.
miral Dewey put his foot down on