Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-11-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WA5dINUIUN ILL liz
From our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON, Nov. 10, 1900.
How Democrats III Congress feel toward
the proposition to reduce Southern repre-
sentation in Congress and in the electoral
college, which is being urged by quite a
number OF Republicans, may be judged
from these remarks of Senator Money: sIf
an attempt is made to reduce the Congress
sional representation from the South, l. for
one. will be willing to talk from the third
day Of December to noon on the fourth day
of March, And it WON'T be wind, either.
1t will be a speech worth listening to, |
have been preparing for this fight for some
time. II the Republicans attempts that
reduction, they might as well prepare for an
extra session of Congress They will not
pass their shipping bill, nor, indeed, any
thing else in the way of legislation. = Every
Democratic Senator and Representative,
who has been in Washington holds prac-
tically the same sentiments that Senator
Money expressed Leading Republicans,
who see danger in the matter, are trying
to stop the talk among the small fry about
forcing this sort of legislation through Con-
gress by reminding them of the Republican
defeat which followed the attempts to Jam
the notorious Force bill through Congress.
1t seems that the public is not to be
allowed to get on the inside of whatever
crookedness there has been in handling
Cuban money, in addition to the known
stealings of the Nelly gang, if the Senate
Committee on relations with Cuba, or
rather the Republican members Of that
committee, can prevent it. even when there
is no campaign going on to be effected. Ii
was known, and stated in this paper, when
the Senate ordered this investigation to be
made, that the committee would make no
pretense even of acting until after the cleo
ton, but it was not believed that the COM
mittee would decline to act at all. Yet,
that is what many are now saying and the
talk seems to be justified. The Committee
held a secret meeting, after which Senator
Platt, of Connecticut, its Chairman, refused
to even allow one of the newspaper men;
waiting outside the committee room, TO
read any Of the information furnished by
the War Department, on the expenditures
and receipts in Cuba, on the ground that
the information was mot complete, and
stated that the committee had adjourned
subject to the call of the Chairman, and
that he didn't know when there would be
another meeting.
If Secretary Gage represents the Repub-
lican financial policy, and the fact that he
has been asked by Mr.. Mckinley to remain
at the head of the Treasury Department
during the next administration is good evil
dence that he does, a movement for the
absolute retirement not only Of the green
backs, but of all paper money issued by the
government, may be expected in the near
future, although the intention to do so
was most vigorously denied by many Re-
publicans, during the recent campaign.
Mr. Cages position has been pretty gener-
ally known for some time, and has just
emphasized it in lecture on Finance, in
which he said: 1.-THE public Treasury is
poor agency for issuing paper money!
There is considerable gossip in Washing
ton concerning the candidacy for the Sem
ate from Nebraska, of Assistant Secretary
Meiklejohn. He spent the greater part Of
the campaign ON the stump instead of in
the War Department, aud now he is likely
to spend more time in Nebraska t's il
Washington, until the Senators arc elected,
while his salary goes right along In
addition to being allowed to neglect lis
official duties, Mr.. Meikleiohn wants the
administration to back his candidacy for
the Senate. If Mr.. Mckinley does that,
Nebraskans in Washington say he will raise
the biggest sort of a row among Republicans
Of the State.
Another official postponement OF the
bringing of the volunteers home from the
Philippines has been announced, which is
directly contrary to all the ante-election
promises. 1t is now said that they viii
not begin bringing them back before the
first of January, and possibly not before
the first of March, II not until the latter
date, it will be very doubtful whether they
will all get back before the expiration of
their term of enlistment-July 1, 1901
although War Department officials claim
that they can all be brought back within
four months, if necessary. If so, they will
be brought back much quicker than they
were carried.
Senator Harris, OF Kansas, said of one of
the bills which Boss Hanna has slated to 90
through at this session of Congress: There
is much opposition in the West to the Ship
Subsidy Bill. II the ship yards are so
prosperous as we are led to believe, there is
no need for them to receive subsidies In
any event the farmers of the West object to
being taxed for the support Of the shipping
interests"
At the last session of Congress, the Re
publicans would have been entirely satisfied
to increase the regular army to 100, 600 men,
but now a lot of them are seriously talking
about making the army bill which they
intend putting through at this session, pro-
vide for 10000 men OF more. The re-
election of Mr.. Mckinley and the election
of a big majority in the next House seems
to have turned the heads of many Repub-
licans, and the leaders of that party are
going to have a hard job to keep them from
going beyond all bounds in the legislation
at this session.