The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1900-04-21
WASHINGTON LE1TEi5
anon oaI ReguIar eorfespoalIsa.

WASHINGTON u. T., Aprll To- 9uu
Administration Senators and Rep
resentatiyes are wrangling ie RrfullA
over the plums made avaiIalNe by
the Porto Rico Act, which goes inta
effect May l, Nearly everyone 1oI
them is grabbing after at least Dae
OF the biggest and juiciest Of these
plums for constituent and they are
making MIR, Mckinley very weary
by their persistencY. The selection
OF Mr., c, H. Allen to be governor
was entirely personal ON the
part of Mr.. Mckinley, Just as
the same gentleman was personally
chosen by Secretary Long to be AS
sistant Secretary of the Navy when
TEDDY" Roosevelt resigned that
office to become a rough rider. If
some of the men who are after the
other places over there succeed in
getting them, Mr., Allen will have to
keep his eyes wide open to prevent
his administration of the affairs OF
the island getting him into the break
ers ofscandal.
1t is a little puzzling to understand
why the administration is pFeyeNi
ing action on the Nicaragua Canal
bill at this session of Congress, but
perfectly plain that it is dong so,
through its agents in both House
and Senate. There is something be-
hind the desire to postpone this leg
islation, which has been endorsed by
all the political parties and by the
public sentiment of the country as
we'll OF course, Mr.. Mckinley ism
openly antagonizing the Canal bill
but it has been administration SEN
ators who voted down Senator Nor
gan's motion to take up the Canal
bill, and it has been administration
Representatives who have headed off
Representative Hepburns several at
tempts to get a date set for its con-
sideration by the HOUSE.
Nothing could more surely show
the steady increase of public senti-
ment in favor of the election of Sena-
tors by direct vote of the pee pie,
than the adoption by the House of a
resolution proposing a constitution
al amendment for SO eecting Sena-
tors, by a vote of 240 to Is. A sim
liar resolution has been adopted by
the House in previous Congress
but not by such a large vote.
Whether the Senate will respond to
public sentiment by adopting this
resolution is yet to be seen, but it is
doubtful.
1t is bad enough for paid lobbyists
to engage in manufacturing public
sentiment in favor of or against
pending legislation in Congress, but
it is infinitely worse for bureau of
the government to engage in such
business. The Interstate Commerce
Commission has been sending out
thousands of circular letters, printed
and mailed at public expense, asking
that letters be written to Senators
and Representatives to make them
support the Cullom bill, for the en-
largement of the power ofthat Com
mission. The exposure of this Off
cial lobbying has caused a sensation
in Congress, and it ought to cause
the summary dismissal of every Off
cial who either participated therein
or countenanced it but Mr.. McKin-
ley's backbone is hardly equal to
such heroic treatment of the case.
A bill to make more republican
patronage, which can be utilized in
the coming campaign, has been re-
ported from the House Census Com
mittee. 1t provide, Tor the creation
of a Census printing Office, with
superintendent at So, 500 year, and
a large force of printers and book
binders. In previous censuses, this
work has been done at the govern
ment printing Office, and there is no
other reason than greed for more
patronage on the part ofrepublicans
why it should not be done there for
this census.
Under orders from the republican
bosses, who wish to keep down the
total Of appropriations at this ses-
sion of Congress, the House Military
Committee, which had previously
agreed to increase the annual appro-
priation for the support of the Ma
tional Guard of the states to
100000, has reduced the amount
to 81 100000.
Only one democrat in Congress is
publicly supporting Admiral Dewey
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