The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-20
POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP.

that Governor John Walter Smith has
yielded point In his announced opposition
TO filling the vacancy in the First Maryland
district that was caused by his retirement
from the House., He will, II is said, order
special election for November. SO the
district can be represented in the second
session Of the Fifty-sixth Congress. This
will not cost the State as much money as
would a special election held before the
date decided upon, when all OF the election
machinery will be put in operation Tor the
national contest. II Is claimed that the
Governors original intention was not 10
permit the people to fill the vacancy at all,
but the clamor throughout the State against
this obstiDacy caused him TO change his
resolution. Too much of vital interest 10
the whole State depends upon the repre-
sentation of the First district for the peo-
pie of Maryland to allow Governor Smith
and his followers 10 play politics with
the vacancy. Two sides Of the district are
surrounded by deep water-the Delaware
on one side and Chesapeake Bay on the
other. The river and harbor bill of this
Congress will be passed at the second ses-
SION. Hence the Importance 10 the general
commercial interests of Maryland in hav-
ing the district represented.
Senator Spooncr smncs.-Senator
Spooner is the good Western man whose
! name is the very last, just before the hour
for going to press, TO be mentioned for the
second place on the ticket with Mr.. Nc
Kinley. To the distinguished gentleman
from Wisconsin this remark was made yes
terday afternoon: II see, Senator, that you
are being doomed for Vice President" The
Senator smiled fitfully. Then he assumed
a serious air. Young man." he said In
| spirit OF kindly admonition, 1.-THE conven-
ton will nominate the Vice President"
! Senator Spooner volunteered nothing
further. He spoke not word about the
raging boom of either Governor Schofeld
or Col. Henry C. Payne, both distinguished
citizens OF his State. All Senator Spooner
said was: The convention will nominate
the Vice President" Mark that Senator
Spooner did not say: The convention will
nominate the President
Governor stephens of MissOuri.-The
Hon. Lawrence Vest Stephens, of Missouri,
spent an hour on the floor OF the House
yesterday while the wheels of legislation
were whirring noisily. Under the cicero
mage Of Representative Cochran, he. was
conducted to the Democratic cloakroom and
there he held an impromptu reception.
Scores of Representatives from all parts OF
! tie Union were introduced TO him, and
many of them twitted him good naturedly
as "Bryan's running mate" The governor
denied the soft Impeachment of Vice
Presidential aspirations, but this did not
stop the talk of putting him on the tail of
the ticket. Governor Stephens made good
II,
and but for the apparently settled de-
termination to come East for the Vice
President In the event that the ticket is
again headed by Colonel Bryan, his name
evidently would arouse some enthusiasm
in the National Convention. He is one of
the youngest governors in the country, a
high-class political organizer, is rich and
ambitious. This is a combination which, 1t
Is conceded. will make him potent In party
affairs for many years. even IL he should
not again ask for Office when his term as
governor expires. 1t is said. however that
he has his eye on the seat of the distin-
guished Missourian for whom he is named
but TO whom be is not related by consan-
guinity, Senator Vest, who has declared his
intention to retire from public life at the
expiration of his fourth term in 1903.
man Payne, Of the Ways and Means Com
mittee, has prepared bill extending the
Dingley tariff law to Porto Rico. 1t is, of
course, not denied that the bill is an Ad-
Dinistration measure, and Mr.. Payne says
1t will pass both the House and Senate with
practically no opposition from the Repub-
licans. 1t puts Porto Rico on terms of alb
solute equality with other integral parts Of
the Union. which means that the Porto
Ricans will have free trade relations with
the United States with the high barriers of
Republican protective tariff against all the
rest of the world. II is generally UNDER
stood that the Administration thus boldly
defies the sugar and tobacco interests that
are opposed TO free trade with the island
mainly for the purpose of advancing the
cause of annexation in Cuba. The theory
is that the removal OF the tariff embargos
on the commerce OF Porto Rico will pro-
duce such prosperity in that island that
the Cubans will very soon learn the value
of closer and more intimate communion
with the United States than could be hoped
for should the cry of Cuba libre" rule the
politics of Cuba when the question OF an
nexation is finally put TO a vote.
Reading Ont sibIey.-A splutter of
criticism breaks from nearly every Demo-
cratic mouth whenever the sibillant name
of the Hon. Joseph C. Sibley is mentioned
above a whisper. Time was-and not so
very long ago, either-wheii to mention
the name of Sibley was to arouse en-
thusiasm in the company of Democrats
The name even suggested itself as a
proper accompaniment to that of the
eloquent young Nebraskan on the ticket
of 1900 But Uncle Joe" has gone
over to the Philistines, declare his
erstwhile admirers, and has blurred
with big splotches the record that
had been put in the Democratic
handbook. He made a giant swing from
his high bimetallic perch over to the
Republican side OF the House when he
voted for the single gold standard bill.
This was gymnastic feat OF such daring
that he beholders were too startled to
cry out in amazement. But when the
other day your Uncle Joseph arose from
his seat among the Democrats and made
an impassioned defence OF the luckless Mr..
Gage his former Democratic allies uttered
a Shrek of alarm and told the gentleman
from Pennsylvania TO go over on the other
side OF the House and mingle with those
whose cause he was advocating. Whether
or not he intends 10 do as hidden remains
to be seen; but 1t is quite certain that
the Democrats will no longer discuss fam
lily matters when Uncle Joe is around
The Danger of Seating Quay.
From the Chicago Times Herald.)
One of the dangerous possibilities involved
in the movement TO give Quay seat in the Sem
ate is the encouragement it would give party ma
-irAr