The times., 1899-02-20
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.

at noon on March a. Just twelve days
hence. Whatever pending legislation that
fails to pass both houses OF Congress by
high noon on March and receive the
Presidents signature will fall to the
ground. The time is short and the num-
Der of urgent matters that are awaiting
action at the hands of the national legis-
lators is very great. 1t will be impossible
for Congress to dispose of all of them. or
even majority of them. The only ques-
tion is, will the vital measures, the failure
of any one of which would force the Presi-
dent to forthwith call an extra session OF
the FiftysiXth Congress, be disposed of
before March 4? In the opinion OF the IN
siders an extra session cannot be avoided,
All of the developments of the past week
have made it all the more certain. Very
little progress has been made and the lead
ers on both sides are apparently no nearer
an agreement on the Army bill and other
important matters than they were ten days
ago.
Speaker Reed has added to the embar
rassment of the Administration leaders by
changing his tactics and antagoniZing
nearly all of the strictly Administration
bills. He has evidently made up his mind
to fight the President openly from this
time on. 1t is said that it came to his
knowledge that the Administration was
Speaker of the next House and that he re-
garded this fact as a sufficient excuse for
ignoring the temporary truce that had
been entered into between the President
and himself. The report, however, that
Mr.. Reed had made a deal with c. 7.
Huntington TO kill the Nicaragua Canal
bill in consideration of the delivery of l32
delegates to himself at the next Republican
National Convention receives very little
n N no
place, it is not believed that Mr.. Hunting
ton could control that number of delegates,
and even If he could they would be in such
a hopeless minority in the convention that
their influence would amount to very little.
Those who know Mr.. Reed believe that he
would expect something more substantial
than the delivery of handful OF delegates
in convention that. according to all the
signs of the times, will be overwhelmingly
against him.
The Fiftyfifth Congress has been a
memorable one in many respects, perhaps
more memorable than any in the history Of
the country. 1t has seen the beginning and
ending of successful foreign war, the
passage of a general tariff bill, and the
practical remuneration by the Republican
party of the sacred doctrine of protection.
1t has also seen the opening of new epoch
in the history Of the United States. During
the lifetime of the Fifty-fifth Con
gress an imperial area has been
added TO the territory of the nation. The
Fifty-fifth Congress will leave many grave
problems of statecraft to be settled by fu-
ture Congresses. but upon the whole the
Congress that will pass into history on
March next is one that will be memorable
for generations 10 come.
The Delaware SenntorshIp.-There
are strong intimations that the senatorial
deadlock in Delaware will be broken before
the end of the present week 1t was stated
last night that something might happen
at Dover today that would put end TO
the contest. The friends of j. Edward Ad-
dicks have been especially confident for the
past few days that their man would win.
Since Mr.. Addcks started after a sera-
torial toga about ten years ago, he has met
with good many rebufIs, but he has al
ways turned up smiling and renewed the
attack. He has contended against heavy
odds, but has never given up. At the st.
Louis convention in 1895 the Addicks dele
cation from Delaware was denied admis-
sion. But Notwithstanding that fact MIR.
Addicks jumped into the campaign and
helped carry Delaware for Mckinley and
Hobart. He has had majority OF the
Republican members OF the Legislature at
Dover opened in January. He is the regu-
lar caucus nominee OF his party, but it has
been an open secret that the Washington
Administration did not desire his election.
Its influence has been used. ii is claimed
to help elect MIR. Gray. a Democrat, in
preference to Mr.. Addicks. 1t is UNDER
stood in this connection that the Admnis-
tration has been warned in pain terms by
the supporters of Addicks to keep its hands
off the senatorial fight in Delaware. If
Senator Gray is elected by the assistance
of the Washington Administration they
assert that the Republican party will not
carry Delaware again for a good many
years. If the President wishes to reward
Senator Gray, the Addicks people say for
his work as a member of the Paris Peace
Commission and his support OF the Admin
istration on the floor of the Senate. he can
appoint him to district judgeship. Tais
would probably be as satisfactory TO Gray
as another siX-year term in the Senate.
Mr.. Addicks," said one of his friends
last night has made Delaware practi ally
a Republican State. But for the fight he
has made there and the money he has
spent TO build up the Republican organiza-
tion and put life into it, the Democi ats
would still have control of the State Ad-
dicks has borne the brunt of the fight and
paid most of the bills, and he is entitled
to consideration at the hands of his party
The three electoral votes of Delaware may
be of some Importance to the Republican
party next year. 1t is not necessary TO
make threats, but if Mr.. Mckinley helps
to send George Gray back to the Senate
Delaware will he as certain to go Demo-
cratic next year as the sun is to rise to-
morrow morning
Tnii. of Dark Horse In California.
From what | know of the senatorial sit
uation in California said Charles c. Carl
ton, the correspondent of the San Fran
cisco Call yesterday, Il am satisfied
that none of the favorites in the fight can
win. The contest has become too bitter
for that. If anyone is elected at the pres
ent session of the Legislature it must be
dark horse. This fact is pretty generally
recognized now by the Republican leaders
and they are turning their attention to the