Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-11-23
THE COMING FIGHT.
ALL WILL NOT BEPEACEFuL SAIL.
ING FOR THE REPUBLICANS.

TWILL MI De F6RCEtO VI SAIL
ING FOR THE REPUBLICANS.
The Armor Trust Gets Its Pay for Political Ser.
vices-A Vest that Needs No PuIlins-The
War Department Furnishes Harrison. the Ex.
President. for APATHY in the Late Cam.
paisn- hcKinley's Promise to Retain Present
Cabinet Officers Regarded Simply as Per.
functory Duty.
(From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Nov. l6, 1900.
If radical Republicans can have
their way, the coming session of Con-
gress will see political fight not
equaled in intensity and bitterness
since the Republicans tried to pass
the notorious Force bill. The object
now is the same. 1t was then to cur
tail the political power of the South.
The present scheme of the radicals is
to have the reapportionment bill under
the new census provide for reduc.
ton of the representation in Congress
and of the electoral votes of nearly
every one of the Southern States.
Needless to say that the Democrats in
the House and Senate will to man
fight such bill to the last ditch with
every legislative weapon at their COM
mand, and those weapons can be
made effective enough in the Senate,
if not in the House, to block all bust
ness for the entire session if it be-
comes necessary to prevent action on
the bill. Mr.. Mckinley does not at
present favor this scheme, but that
gives no assurance that he will not IA
vor it later. He is follower, not a
leader, OF his party, and be is likely to
repeat his Porto Rican somersault, if
the radicals can control the Republi-
can caucuses OF the House and SEN
ate. Senator Thurston, of Nebraska,
seems to he hankeriDg after the lead
ership of the radicals in the Senate.
The Carnegie armor trust gets a
contract aggregating $l7,O00,OOO, and
the Midvale Steel Co., which underbid
the trust, in the first place, gets left.
That is the sum and substance of Sec
rotary Longs dickering with the steel
trust for price on armor for our new
warships.
A statement was this week officially
given out denying that this govern
ment was in any way hampering the
negotiations with China, rs charged
by American correspondents OF Lon
don papers, and asserting that Minis
ter Conger and Mr.. Rockhill have au-
thority to act in their discretion upon
all matters of detail connected with
the negotiations.
Senator Vest, of Missouri, returned
to Washington this week in better
physical condition than he has been
for five or six years, and his talk indi-
Gates his intention to take his old
time active part in the business of the
Senate at the coming session OF Con-
gress. Senator Vest has opinions on
all things political and does not hest
tate to express them. He said OF the
proposition to reorganize the Demo-
cratic party: at is nonsense to talk
reorganization of the party at this
time. All that the Democrats can do
is TO await developments in the future
and renew our allegiance to the prin.
ciples of the party as announced by
Jefferson" Speaking of Mr.. Mckin-
ley's reelection, Senator Vest said:
"There is no cause for discouragmentI
to Democrats in the result OF the cleo
ton. History has simply repepted it.
self. No political party in this coun-
try has ever been able to defeat an sd-
ministration which was carrying on q
foreign war. The Federal party was
destroyed because of its opposition to
the war OF 1872. Thousands OF patri-
otto citizens, who were really opposed
to the foreign policy of Mr.. Mckinley,
voted for him because they thought
that We should first end the war in
the Philippines and then settle other
questions connected with the archi.
pelsgo. And nothing was more freely
heard in the campaign from conserva.
would not do to discredit our govern
ment by Withdrawing the troops from
the Philippines while armed opposi-
ton to the government existed there.
I believe this feeling did more for
President Mckinley than any other
one factor in the election"
1t is said that the order for Russell
B. Iarrison's honorable discharge
from the volunteer service-he has
been a Lieut.. Colonel of Volunteers
which was this week issued by the
War Department, was iustigated by
feeling against his father, ex-President
Harrison, for not having been more
active inlhis support Of Mr.. Mckinley
in the campaign. The reason given
was that his services were no longer
required, but the fact that other vol
unteer officers are being sent to the
Philippines on every transport pre-
vents it's acceptance by those who
think his discharge whack at his
father.
Political parties are like individuals,
the more they get the more they want.
Boss Hanna has ordered that Senator
Blackburn's right TO his seat shall be
contested. This may or may not fol-
low, as Boss Hanna has found out
long ago that there are number OF
Republican Senators who will not be
bossed by him. Senator Blackburn's
term will not begin until March 4,
next. 1t is quite safe to say that he
will get the seat he was elected to fill,
Notwithstanding the big Republican
majority in the Senate.
Mr.. McKinley's request made to the
Cabinet this week, that each Of them
retain their portfolios under the new
administration, which has been widely
exploited as something extraordinary,
Was in reality but bit of buncombe,
. sort of official certificate of charac-
ter for each of the gentlemen who are
members of the Cabinet. 1t is not
probable that any President who was
ever reelected failed to ask the men,
bers of his Cabinet to remain with
him. although there is no record OF
any of them having chosen Mr.. Nc
Kinley's way of doing it-a speech at