Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-12-01

N DlOlUIl1 OU lIOUA.
FOR THE GRAND OLD DEMO
CRATIC PARTY.
Shylocks DcmaaI Their Pound of Flesh from
the &. o. p. with no Portia in Sight to Sus.
scst a Way Out of the Dilemma -Republi-
cans Properly Rely Upon Aid from Gold
partisans-Reed Gives Cold Comfort to
His Patrons in his Forecast from Election
Fisures-McLean Says Criticism of Admiral
Dewey is Inspired by Partisan Malice.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 81, 1899
Senator Jones, Of Arkansas, Chair
man of the Democratic National Com
mittee, has returned to Washington
for the session of Congress. He has
entirely recovered his health; SAYS he
never felt better, and that, like the
Democratic party, he is full of fight.
He believes, and with good reasons for
his belief, that the Democratic party
is to-day in better condition for the
Presidential campaign than the Re-
publican party is, and that its condi-
ton is more likely to improve between
now and the opening of the campaign
than is that of the Republican party
and he says further that his belief is
fully shared by every man who at
tended the recent Democratic confer
ence at Chicago. He looks confident
ly for Democratic assistance from the
legislation of this Congress, Republi-
can in both branches; the Shylocks of
the last Presidential campaign are al
ready demanding their pound of flesh,
with no shrewd Portia in sight to
show Mr.. Mckinley how to meet the
demand in such a way that they will
he made to follow the example of
Shakspeare's Shylock. 1t looks now
as though they would get the pound
Of flesh and with it the life of the Re-
publican party.
There is reason to believe that Sen.
ator Deboe, of Kentucky, was in
Washington this week for the purpose
of enlisting administration support
for scheme by which a combination
oil Republicans and gold Democrats in
the Kentucky legislature hope to con-
firm Taylor's election to be Governor
and to rc-elect Senator Lindsay, and
that he succeeded in getting Mr.. Nc
kinley to promise to use the whole
influence Of the Federal administra-
ton to help along the scheme.
Vice President Hobart was one of
the rare men who could be strong par
tisan in politics without FORGETTING the
personal esteem Of his opponents.
That is why Democratic Senators sor-
row quite as deeply over his death as
do their Republican colleagues or the
members of the administration OF
which Mr.. Hobart was an important
part-a much more important part
than is generally known-and why
many Democrats will 60 with the
large party of officials from Washing
ton to Paterson, New Jersey, to attend
the funeral, Saturday. Senator Frye,
of Maine, who was elected President
pro tempOre OF the Senate early 10 the
last Congress will preside over the
Senate at the coming session, the only
difference made by the death of Mr..
Hobart being that Senator Frye will
draw $4,000 year more salary and
will have the use OF the Vice Presi-
dents room in the Capitol. 1t will
not change his title, and the Vice
Presidency will remain vacant until
after the next National election, there
being no law providing for filling q
vacancy in that Office.
Mr.. Henderson says he will an
nounce the House committees before
the holiday recess. If he does, and
there is no good reason why he
shouidn't, since he -has-Lno~n 70.
months that he would be Speaker, and
knows all OF the old members person.
ally, the House should get down TO
business much earlier than it usually
does at the opening of n new Congress.
There is some talk among Republic
cans of making the chairman of the
House committee on Banking and
Currency their floor leader, instead of
the chairman OF the Ways and Means
committee.
Ex-Speaker Reeds reference to the
vote in Ohio, in speech made at the
annual banquet of the New York
Chamber of Commerce, has been
much talked about in Washington,
and is calculated to make those Re-
publicans who have been disposed to
regard Mr.. McKinley's reelection as
matter of course, do some hard think
ing. Mr.. Reed said: "The Republic.
can candidate had but $4,000 plural
ity (Mckinley's majority in the State
in '96 was 100000, while a third can
didate had 100000 votes. In the old
days when majority over all was re-
quired, there would have been no
election"
Mr.. John r. Mclean, who was
Democratic candidate for Governor of
Ohio, and who is Admiral Dewey's
brother-in-law, believes that the fierce
adverse criticism of Admiral Dewey,
already shown to have been without
just cause, for deciding the house re-
Gently given him to Mrs. Dewey in
order that she might share in the
pleasure of giving the house to George
Goodwin Dewey, the Admiral's only
child'-an act which she has already
performed-was the result of concert
ed action on the part of certain Re.
publican politicians, who have deter
mined to take advantage of every
opening in their effort to break down
Admiral Dewey's popularity so as to
remove him from the list of Presiden-
tial possibilities. Mr.. Mclean, who is
not given to making assertions with
out having substantial reasons there
for, said in an authorized interview:
"The criticisms against Admiral
Dewey have been inspired by certain
persons, who, for well understood rea-
sons, have little love for the Admiral.
1t is an insidious attack upon a repre-
sentative American by hidden politi-
cal foes. 1 believe that the fight
l.. Il.