The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-17
CAPITOL CHAT.

4
The division in the Minnesota delegation
in Congress over the Porto Rican tariff Il
likely to cause a serious fight when the
State convention meets IN the near fu-
| ture.
Senators Davis and Nelson and Repre-
sentatives Heatwole and Fletcher. who
voted against the tariff bill. will seek
vindicstion of their action FROM the con
vention. Senator Nelson being especially
anxious In this regard. In view CT the fact
that he is a candidate this year for re-
| election The I'VE members OF the delega-
ton In the House who voted for the bill
are equally anxious TO have their course
indorsed. II is said TO be possible that the
! convention. In order not to discriminate
between those who did and those who did
not vote for the tariff, will ignore the Por-
/ to Rican question entirely. In this event
/ the Democrats In the State viii make po-
| Iitical capital OF the Republican silence.
| Something of the same state of affairs
I exists In Illinois, where Senator Mason
/ and Congres smen Warner and Lorimer
will ask the State convention to approve
/ their action in voting against the Tariff
/ bill In this position they will be upheld
/ by Gov. Tanner, who Is anxious 10 make
/ Senator Cullom's pathway 20 reelection
as difficult as possible. II is said that
| Gov. Tanner who has recently spoken in
most emphatic condemnation OF the tariff
/ bill. will control the convention, and will
/ have free trade plank inserted In the
/ resolutions. OF course. this action will
make 1t unpleasant for Senator Cullom
and the Illinois Congressmen who voted
| for the bill.
The Republican convention in New York
| to-day will elect Senators Platt and De-
pew. Gov. Roosevelt. and B. B. Odell,
| 1r-. as delegates -at-Iarge to the national
| convention in Philadelphia. The pres
ence of Gov. Roosevelt at the conven-
ton will. in the opinion of his friends in
| Washington. leei to his nomination as
/ vice president.
| This is not. however, the sentiment ex
| pressed by administration leaders, who
| insist that Gov. Roosevelt is no longer
| Vice Presidential quantity. The candi
/ dacy of Secretary Long is being received
| with favor, and If the nomination goes
| to the East, he is very likely TO be chosen.
| IL. on the other hand a Western man
| is selected, it is said that the President
would be greatly pleased TO have Senator
Allison on the ticket with him. Mr.. ALI
| son can, of course, represent Iowa in the
| Senate as long as he lives but the Vice
| Presidency might be regarded by MIN as
| a fitting climax to his distinguished and
| honorable career. He is man of nation
| al reputation, who enjoys the confidence
| of Eastern commercial and financial in
| terests, while he is thoroughly Western in
| his sentiments.
| An Idaho soldier has had five inches
added to his height by law. 1t is the first
case of the kind in the history of Con-
gress.
It seems that W. W. Pefey went into
the war with Spain as q private in the
| First Idaho Infantry. According to the
| records OF the War Department, his
| height at the time of his enlistment was
| feet 5-S inches. when, as an actual
| fact his height was 8 feet 10 SO inches.
| The missing five inches made let of
! trouble for Pef1ey. His captain wrote a
| letter TO the major, the major to the
| colonel, and the colonel wrote 70 Senator
| Shoup, while the surgeon prepared a SOL
emn affidavit. Senator Shoup framed
| bill and introduced it; the Committee on
Pensions considered it, and reported it
| fevorabiy, and the Senate passed ii.
SO now, so far as the Senate is con-
| cerned, Mr.. Pefiey has his five inches
added unto him by due process of law.
| Yesterday was reception day for Sem
| ator Morgan From the moment he en-
| tered the Senate until he left late in the
| afternoon, he was receiving the congrat-
ulations of his colleagues. Telegrams
| kept showering upon him as thickly as
| falling leaves in autumn.
Everybody was glad to know of Senator
Morgan's victory. The Democrats rejoieed
because it showed that no change threat
ened the recognized practice of the South
| TO return their public servants. The Re-
| publicans were glad because Senator Nor
| gan made his campaign on the issue of ex-
pansion-the Philippines, Hawaii, and the
| Nicaragua Canal And Democrats and
Republicans were alike glad because of
| their personal regard for the Senator,
whose ability is respected and whose
| character Is esteemed.
There was lesson in physical geogra-
| ply in the Serate yesterday afternoon.
| Senator PettuS, who never saw the ocean
until he had Travelled many mile from his
native State of Alabama. impressively
asked Senator Carter TO explain what was
meant by 'shoaI water" in the mining
| regulations of the Alaskan code.
L refer the Serator," replied Mr.. Car
| ter, ito the standard dictionary of the
English language"
oh" replied Pettus, with gesture of
disdain, Il don't want the Senator 10
throw dictionary at me- and | don't
| want him to treat the Senate In that Wav.
1 want to know what his explanation Of
'shoal water is''
Thereupon Mr.. Carter stated that shoal
water was the water between the blue
line of the sea and the shore 1T may ex
| tend ten or fifteen miles from shore, but
If We can get gold ten or fifteen miles
from shore, Sd much the better for u.s."
| he added.
Senator Wellington has ventured into
the national banking business. Yester-
| day certificate was issued by the Comp
troller OF the Currency 10 The National
| Bank of Cumberland" with a capitaI
stock OF 100000. Senator Wellington will
De the president Of the bank, which, il
is well understood, viii be rival to THE
Second National Bank Of Cumberland"
OF which ex-Gov. Lowndes is president.
In the last State campaign. when the
Senator and Gov. Lowndes clashed. the
| former vowed that he would never leave
anything undone 10 wreck the governor
politically and financially Not very long
| ago the Senator headed a syndicate that
locked horns with Gov. Lowndes for ac-
quiring the electric railroads and electric
lighting company of Cumberland. The
Senator's syndicate won, and now he is
supposed to be carrying his war into the
| banking world Of Cumberland.
Great 1ien Fall Out.
From the Chicago Tribune