Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-05-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Senator Morgan is working faithfully
to try to upset the administration pro-
gram of hanging up in the senate the
Nicaragua canal bill, which passed the
house with only handful OF adverse
votes. He fully realizes the difficulties
OF the task, but is confident that there
are enough Republicans in the senate
who believe with the Democrats in an
American canal to bring success. Time
will soon tell, but as Senator Tillman
said short time ago, the Republican
party has the best organization any
party has ever had in congress, and al
though there are at times spluttering
and kicking in the end the orders of the
boss are usually carried out to the
letter. In this case, the order is to
hang up the Nicaragua canal bill.
Senator Allison very frankly states that
the administration senators intend to
defeat Senator Morgan and prevent the
taking up of the canal bill by the senate
at this session of congress.
t t
Representative Dick, of Ohio, other
wise known as Boss Hanna's man
Friday, has gone to Cincinnatti, where
the Middle-of- f-the-road Populists will
hold their national convention this
week, and there are good reasons for
the belief that he expects to play a
leading part in controlling the action of
that convention. Senators haye been
publicly saying for some time that
Hanna's agents were offering free
transportation and hotel expenses to
delegates to that convention from
various sections of the country. 1t is
Hanna's intention that this convention
shall nominate a ticket Of its own in
opposition to that nominated at Sioux
Falls, which he relies upon to help the
Republicans carry several states by
splitting the Populist vote, and Dick
has been sent to see that the intention
is carried out.
/
Senator Butler, Of North Carolina,
chairman of the Populist national COM
mittee, before leaving Washington to
attend the Sioux Falls convention, de-
clared that the convention would nomi-
nate Colonel Bryan for president by
acclamation, and would adopt the plat
form OF '96, with new declarations to
meet our foreign problems and the trust
question. or trusts Senator Butler
said: THE Peoples party has always
been against trusts, and we believe that
the three greatest trusts relate to
money, transportation and the trans
mission of intelligence. People who
control these trusts can control the
government, and we will, therefore,
suggest that these three great factors
in the nations development should be
under governmental control"
/ t /
The Porto Rican law has already had
to be remeded by additional congress
ional legislation, and the Hawaiian law
will have to be. The latter failed to
provide for collection OF internal
revenue, or for an extension OF the
United States postal laws, and Secretary
Gage has informed the cabinet that he
does not consider the authority given
him by the law sufficient to Justify the
payment OF Hawaiian public debt The
country will not forget that the Republi
cans are responsible for this and other
slip-shod legislation, forced through
congress under the party whip and spur.
/
The decision OF United States Judge
Dapl hnt h..
United States constitution was extended
to Porto Rico on the day that the terms
OF the treaty Of peace with Spain went
into effect, has greatly disturbed ad-
ministration circles, foreshadowing, as it
does, similar decision on the part OF
the United States supreme court when
an opportunity is offered. II the power
and influence of the administration can
prevent it, no opportunity will be given
the supreme court to pass on the ques-
tion until after the presidential election.
/ /
Another play was made in the ad-
ministration's game with England, when
Secretary Hay and the British ambassa-
dor signed a new agreement extending
the time within which the two govern
ment may exchange notifications OF the
canal treaty, now hung up in the senate,
seven months from the fifth of next
August, which was the limit set by the
last agreement. Unless senators eat
their words, the treaty will not be rati
fed by the senate, as at present made up.
Democrats would ask nothing better
than that Secretary Long, who seems
just now to be the favorite candidate,
should be nominated on the Mckinley
ticket for vice president. Mr.. Longs
attitude in the Schley Sampson contro-
xarax has heen Snch that ha would