The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-18
POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP.

POLITICAL NOTES AND GOSSIP.
The District Dcmocrats.-It is con-
sidered very significant in local political
circles that n9he Or the HoImead or oppo-
sition faction, salcalled. was present at
the meeting of the Democratic Central
Committee at Meyers Hotel Thursday
night. 1t is rumored, with what authority
cannot be stated, that the Ho,mead faction
have RETAINED from taking any part in the
Democratic Certral Committee proceedings
since Mr.. James'i4. Norris was favored by
the Democratic National Committee with
out even hearing the contest between him
| and Mr.. Holmead. This action of the Ma
tional Committee has created in this Dis
trict the greatest apathy toward the Ma
tional Committee, though il has not
estranged the Democrats from Mr.. Bryan.
All the Democrats of the District have ever
| been able TO do is to contribute funds to
the National Committee to help the ticket,
and the hearts of the District Democracy
are centred on Mr.. Bryan's success. OF
the six delegates who fought the battle Of
free silver in the District in 1896 and went
out to the Chicago Convention in its be-
haif. hVe were then opposed and are now
opposed to Mr.. Norris and all his works.
In the April primaries their influence will
be thrown in favor of delegation to Kan
sas City which will be not only repre-
sentative, but anti-Norris in every respect
Will Pay to Wntch.-Strictly on its
intrinsic merits a proposition soon to be
brought before Congress by the enterpris-
ing people of Dallas, Texas will be worth
watching, but aside from that it will be
interesting to see If such measure can
get through the National Legislature as
easily as its promoters seem to think it
can. The proposition is simple and direct.
II involves an expenditure of only four
and a half million dollars of Government
money to make the Trinity River Eavi-
gable from Dallas to the Gulf. Army en-
gineers have, after careful Investigation,
declared the scheme feasible, and that
the work can be done for the amount
stated. The tonnage to be accommodated
is enormous, and for that reason 1t will
be extremely interesting to watch the
course Of events after the proposition is
formulated into bill and presented to
Congress. 4 waterway from the centre OF
the northern line of Texas to the Gulf
would mean such a lowering of the rates
of transportation as the railroads would
not willingly submit to. Therefore the
prediction is made that the Trinity River
bill will not get through Congress. But
il it should slip through it would demon
strate that the contractors know a trick
or two as well as the railroads. The
Texas delegation. of course. is unit for
the bill. Naturally, therefore, the rail-
roads will not look to that delegation for
the means with which to kill the bill.
The opposition Is expected to come from
some remote part of the country. where
ct
single soul, and hence could not be eX-
pected to influence the view of a states
man. But there are other railroad men
in these remote sections who will see to
it that their representatives al Washing
ton keep close eye on the peoples
money and not permit it to be wasted in
making waterways IN Texas to compete
with the railroads down in that neck of
the woods. This, it is said, is what is
meant by the close relations that now ex-
ist between all the great railroad systems
of the country, headed by the New York
Central and the Pennsylvania. However,
as the Texas promoters of the Trinity
River enterprise speak confidently OF the
success of their scheme it may be that
they were wise enough to make arrange
ments with the railroads for their bill to
go through before they came to Congress
with il.
Cen Leonard Wood, - Somebody
somewhere has given the alarm that there
is 2 Republican sVice Presidential boom
raging for Gen. Leonard Wood II is
not known whether the boom started in
Cuba. where General Wood is now sta
toned as Governor General. or whether it
started in the War Department where |
there is a very keen desire for something |
TO happen to get General Wood out of the /
wey OF several ambitious soldiers in the I
staff departments. The Adjutsnt General |
of the Army has been essaying statesman !
ship for so long time that ii is regarded |
as not Impossible that the Wood boom |
came gushing out of the mighty mind OF /
General Corbin. The report connecting ,
General Woods name with the Vice Pres !
idential nomination is laughed at by the |
politicians. In the first place they say that |
Woods politics are unknown. No one here |
can say whether he is a Repub- lean or !
Democrat There is an equal lack CT infor |
nation as to the section of country to
which he belongs. He was an inconspicu-
Gus army doctor until the Hon. Theodore |
Roosevelt met him in Washington and
took a shine TO him. Through Roose-
velt's influence. together with the lucky |
circumstance that he was brought into
contact with Mr.. Mckinley as the Pres
ident's DOCTOR" he was made colonel /
OF the Rough Riders at the outbreak of the /
Spanish war. though Roosevelt got all the !
glory for the organization as well as toe
conduct of that regiment. This experience
gave Wood his long coveta I'd opportunity to
get in the line OF the Army, and that he
would now let that opportunity slip by him
those who know his temperament and de-
sreS best say is ridiculous General Wood.
IL is known. earnestly desires to stay in
the Army. He is assured OF a commission
as Brigadier General in the regular estab-
as soon as the various schemes
fer recognizing the Army takes some
definite shape. 1t is thought to be this Ger
tanty that has suggested to some of the
politicians in the overcrowded staff Of the
Army the ACCESSIBILITY of shunting him off
into politics. But the politicians refuse to
lake seriously the mention of his name for
Mr.. McKinley's running mate. The friends
Of General Wood say he will laugh when
he hears what the Army politicians are
trying to do with him.
A. to senator ChandIcr.-The Hon.
William E. Chandler is recuperating at the
Hot Springs of Missouri from the arduous
abor he has been doing in the Senate since
he opening of Congress in December.
When he is we'll rested it is expected that
lr will go back to New Hampshire for
brief spell TO learn at close range some
hing of the conditions there that bear on
his political future There is an unwritten
,ut unbroken rule in New Hampshire