The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1900-11-22
WASHINGTON LETTER
to be More BYtraV-
aSant than Ever
A RIOT OF JOBS EXPECTED
Congress May Attempt to Cut Down
the SOuth'S Representation.

w dSnlhSSOn Is looking forward with
great pleasure to the coming three
years of Congress. This is entirely
natural when the circumstances of
the case are considered. Washing
ton depends on the government for
existence. A Republican Congress
always brings, not only vastly larger
and more wasteful appropriations
than does a Democratic one, but it
attracts a cOterie of wealthy men,
trust magnates, lobbyists and the
like, who come to solicit favOrs that
they would never dare to ask from
the Democrats. These men spend
their money freely and produce.
'prosperity" here. Then again, the
result OF the election insures the re-
tentiOn of most of the present clerks
In their positions and frees them from
fear of the "rotatiOn in office" adyO-
Gated by the Democrats. OF course,
the other side of this appeals to those
who are outside and want to have
their turn at the public table, but
these latter are not in Washington to
any great extent while the former
are. Last session, although the ap-
preparations were the largest in the
history of the country whether in
peace or war, still there was some
curb on them in view of the ap-
preaching elections. Now there
will'be none, and riot of jobs may
be expected. The river and harbor
bill will probably be the largest in,
history, the public building bills will
cost millions, the ship subsidy and
army and navy appropriations will
be almost without limit, and goOdly
portion all of these will find their
way into Washington pockets.
Hence, Washington is happy.
Representative J. II. Bankhead, of
Alabama, who is the ranking Demo
cratic member of the Committee on
Public Building and Grounds, and
also member of the River and Hsr-
Dor Committee, was in Washington
yesterday to escort some of his col
leagues to an inspection of the COOsa
river, and in an interview on the re-
suits of the elections said: 81 do not
look for any Immediate reOrganiza-
ton OF the Democratic party. The
defeat at the recent election was by no
means death blow. The party has
survived much worse defeats before.
1t Is not time yet to talk of reOrgani-
zatlOn or candidates. Some man
will come forward for the emergency
when the time is at hand" At the
same time, most Democratic leaders
agree that 1t will be necessary to re-
organize before tie next election in
order to meet changed conditions.
In the. past the South has had a GER
tain number of votes which is al
! ways cast for the Democratic candi-
! date and which, with New York and
: Indiana, gave it splendid chance to
, win. Hereafter, it will have nothing
!, of the sort, even if it wins back the
border States which it lost in the last
two elections, and even if it retains
its present voting strength. There is
no reasonable doubt, however, that il
y. will not retain this. The Republi.
cans intend to cut it down in proper.
4 ton to the disfranchiSed ilIiterate ne
e gro vote. If only twenty votes are
+ taken away from the South by this
r means (and it is more probable thai
t the number will be fOrty) the com
S manding position of the South will
T be gone, and issues will have to bt
e framed to win Spme Northern State.
r. or the party wi ave to resign itsel
to continued d. est.
n One of the schemes which will un
o dOubtedly be Pulssed to fruiuon il
a Congress this W5nRr is the ship sub
I, sidy bill, whi9 ! grants enormous
;. bOunties to Al 4eacan built ships
y The bill prOvia that man wht
builds a great aad speedy ocear
y steamer shall be tpaid bounties il
twenty years amOts snting to twice tht
whole cost of the nip. The bounty
to be earned even Sy slow freigh
v steamer, with a 81 feed of less thai
, II knots, will d heunt every year t.
d more than s per cent. of her cos
q when new. On The faster steamers
b ike the best belone ling to the Inter
r national NavigatiSp Company, tn,
+ bounty will be ssther more than II
is per cent. of tn r costs when new
) It's admitted by the advocates of tn
! bill that the bOunties will be larg
% enough to pay all the salaries ant
:. wages Of the officers and crews VIII