The Springfield herald., 1900-02-23
WASHINGTON NEWS.
What Congress Is DoinE.-Notes From the
White Hyuse and the departments.

everything done In congress uOWu-
days is planned and carried out for the
possible effect 1t may have upon the
November election. Although the Re
publicans profess absolute confidence
in the reelection of President McKin-
ley, and the Democrats that such re-
suit is entirely probably, nevertheless
no legislation Is framed and no vote is
taken without forecasting the conse-
quences upon the presidential cam
paign.
There Is slight possibility of the ex-
pulsion of Senator Clark of Montana.
In the first place, the evidence offered
by his prosecutors has not Impressed
the committee, and secondly, no man
wns ever expelled from the Senate OF
the United States. II takes two
thirds vote, and even in the case or
Caldwell of Kansas, some twenty-five
years ago, when the evidence was very
clear, 1t was found difficult to get
majority.
Realizing that it will be long time
before any bill to organize permn-
nent form of government In Puerto
Rico can become a law, the delegates
from the Chamber of Commerce Mt San
Juan have asked the committee in
charge of the Puerto Rican bill In
Congress to hurry through joint res
olution fixing the commercial and In
dustrial status of the Inhabitants OF
that island and the amount of duty,
If any, that is to be imposed upon I'M
ports from and exports to the United
States. Business is now entirely para
lyZed and no change for the better can
be expected until this question Is set
tied. There is no immediate haste so
far as organization of the government
Is concerned The present military
10 SpfiSfn ptnrv
but the commercial and Industrial par
alysis will continue until the embargo
upon trade with the United States is
removed.
Governor Richards of Wyoming
reached here this evening to attend the
meeting of governors called for Febru-
ary 21st by President Mckinley, to ar
range for the Centennial celebration
of the establishment Of the United
States Congress. Other western gov
ernors who will attend are Governor
Thomas of Colorado. who will arrive
tomorrow; wells of Utah, Paynter Of
Nebraska, Murphy Of Arizona, Otero
of New Mexico, Stennenherg Of Idaho
and Smith of Montana. While here the
western states governors will hold
meeting to discuss the needs Of the
western country and arrange plans by
which desired legislation beneficial to
the West may be secured. The pro-
posed plan of having the Rocky Noun
tain states unite in sending distinc-
tive western exhibit to the Paris Expo
sition will also be considered and steps
taken to carry the proposition into ef-
feet.
The Senate substitute for the House
currency bill was passed by the Senate
Thursday by the decisive majority Of
46 to -. Prior to the final passage Of
the bill amendments were considered
under the ten-minute rule. Only two
of these amendments were adopted,
viz: One offered by the finance COM
mittee, keeping the door open to inter
national bImetallism, and one by Mr..
Nelson of Minnesota, providing for
national banks with $25,OOO capital in
towns of not more than 1000 inhabi-
tants. The vote taken on the various
amendments offered were practically
along party lines. Mr.. Chandler Re>
publican, New Hampshire) voted for
the bimetallic amendment, but against
the BILL Mr.. Caffery Democrat, Louis
lanai and Mr.. Lindsay democrat,
Kentucky voted against the commit
tee amendment. but for the bill. Mr..
Kyle (South Dakota) was the only SEN
ator who did not vote, and was not
paired. The free silver substitute Of
fered by Mr. Jones, the leader Of the
Democratic side, was defeated by a
majority of 10, the vote being Al to %.
MIR. Macrum, In his published state
mept, declares that his lone object lin
coming to Washington was to lay be-
fore the department information as to
the true state of affairs in South Afri-
ca" but he has been here for three
weeks without even calling upon Sec
retary Hay or saying word on the
subject to anybody in authority. When
Assistant Secretary Hill and Assistant
Secretary Cridler have several times
requested report from Mr. Mncrum
he has asked for time, but he has nev-
or found nn opportunity to make one,
although he was able to write state
ment filling column and half for
the newspapers. None of the officials
of the Department of State ever heard
that Mr.. Macrum's mail had been tam
pered with until they read 1t In the pa
Dere. He once complained that his
mail did not reach him punctually, but
never reported anything more serious,
nor do they believe that any Of his
correspondence, official or otherwise,
was ever opened, examined or inten-
tionally delayed. This Is n very seri-
Dus matter and 1t is remarkable that
Mr.. Macrum should have kept silent on
the subject for so many months and
then given the first Information TO
newspaper instead of to the govern
ment That the correspondence of m
oficial Of n foreign power shall be held
tnviolate is one of the most sacred
points of international law, and II Mr..
Macrum had reported to the State De-
partment that his mail was being tam
pered with an emphatic demonstration
would have been made on the subject.
Chairman Hepburn of the House
committee on Interstate and foreign