The true northerner., 1899-11-22
Washington Letter


Washington, d. c., Nov. 81, lS99.-
1t is expected that in the Forthcoming
message of the president to congress he
will be quite emphatic in declaring his
position on the Philippine question, al
though the usual way of Mr.. Mckinley
is to avoid even the appearance of die
tation to congress. However, it is now
pointed out by his friends that the cleo
tions have resulted so favorably to him
that ne can safely declare himself on all
public questions, since his views and
those of his party seem so perfectly
in harmony. Especially positive is it
expected the president will be in his ut
terances on subduing the insurrection in
Luzon, as the president always terms
the war in the Philippines. Equally
strong may be his sayings on the cur
rency, although the republican senti-
ment is not as yet crystalized. Senator
Chandler of New Hampshire, always an
exponent of progressive republicanism,
seems to think that the administration
should not force the currency question
too much to the front. He believes in
giving the currency question second i'm
portance i'm the campaign next year, and
in placing to the fore policy inimical to
the extending power of trusts. He also
believes in the announcement of detin-
ite Philippine policy. Opposed to this
view. however, is the attitude of many
leading republicans, who argue that the
republican party is pledged to enact leg
islation placing the gold standard on the
national statute books. The house com
mittee on currency reform has practically
decided upon bill which will he intro
duced early in the session. The con-
sensus of opinion is that American pride
will be aroused by the presidents Wig
orous declarations on foreign policy and
that currency legislation of the right
sort will be enacted as Speaker Hender-
son seems to be in favor of redeeming
the platform pledges of 1896.
Senator Foraker is just back from
Ohio, where he took an active part in
the campaign, which has just terminated
in the election of Judge Nash and in an
interview day or two since expressed
himself as follows: "The general re-
suit of the election is not indefinite
or speculative. 1t was victory for
the administration and will greatly
strengthen President Mckinley, and in
that way havea decided effect upon the
congress and the whole country. Pros
perity will continue and nobody will
think of any other republican than Nc
Kinley as our candidate for the presi-
dency in 1900. Changes in the political
situation, no doubt, will come within the
next twelve months, but the probabilities
are that they will strengthen the repub-
lican party"
Senator Marion Butler of North Caro-
lima has declared himself in a way that
places him squarely in opposition to the
democratic leaders with whom he has
formerly worked, since in recent inter
view he stated that he should take the
stump in opposition to the proposed suf-
frage amendment. "The amendment, if
it should be carried, would disfranchise
the country negro, who is industrious
and docile and with whom we have no
difficulty, and put the ballot in the
hands of the city negro, who is contin-
ually disturbing element" declared
the senator. North Carolina is not the
only state in which the democrats are
seeking to disfranchise the negro. No
sooner did the German contingent gain
control of Maryland again, than reports
of education and property qualifications
being made essential to the franchise
privilege in that state came to light.
On Monday, the president received the
committee on pension legislation ap-
pointed at the recent encampment of
the G.. A. r. at Philadelphia, and was
presented the report adopted at the
encampment asking for modification
of existing laws and regulations rela-
tive to pensions. The committee re-
Trained from making any expression of
opinion other than that included in the
the resolutions of the committee at the
national encampment, which requested
the president, il consistent with his
duties, to issue an executive order di-
recting that the limit of income in the
case of widows be increased from 800 to
$3.50 per year, and that the grouping of
disabilities of pensions be carried out as
desired