The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-16
Capital Chat.
Washington Gossip, Political and
Otherwise, for the Readers
of the Globe.

4
WASHINGTON Feb. 15.-(special)-
There are SO mang ambitious men in the
Minnesota delegation That 1t seems i'm
possible for them to work together in
perfect harmony EsIn the lower house at
least six out Of the seven are looking
for some higher p4ficeSahan that of rep
resentative AT least Six of them would
IKE to become goyernoH or United States
senator, or both, CONGRESSMAN Eddy is
very anxious to- become the chief ex-
ecutive of the North STAR state. Repre-
sentative McCleafg has the same am
bition Mr. Heatwele would like to first
become governor and then United States
senator. Mr.. TaWney has about the
same ambition. Mr. Fletcher, it is said,
Is an aspirant for the senate, and Page
Morris, of Duluth, also has an ambition
TO elevate himself politically and official
w. Mr. Morris, however, will be content
at the present time if he can secure
denomination and reelection as the
Sixth districts representative In the next
congress-. AS matter of fact all seven
OF the congressman are willing to serve
their constituents in a like capacity for
the two years following the end of the
f1fty-sixth congress, unless by chance
one OF them should be given the Repub-
llcan gubernatorial nomination this fall
There is little danger of lightning strik-
ing any of them unless 1t is Mr.. Heat
woie, of the Third district.
SO far as the senator's are concerned,
Mr. Davis would not mind stepping from
the senate chamber into the executive
Harsion. This is laudable ambition of
course. The presidential bee has been
buzzing In Mr.. Davis somewhat ruff1ed
SILK hat for several years past. AS is
Well known, he endeayored to secure the
Lacking of the Minnesota delegation to
the ST. Louis convention in 1896. That
was a Mckinley year, however, in Min
nesota as we'll as in all other states.
Mr.. Davis was, of course, forced aside.
AS Mckinley's denomination is certain
at the Philadelphia convention Mr.
Davis, If his ambition is to be fulfilled.
must walt until 1904. There is a chance,
his friends here still think, that If a
Western man is chosen to lead the Re-
publican forces in that year, Mr.. Davis
may be the Republican nominee So far
as Knute Nelson Is concerned, there is
not anything higher than a United StateA
senatorship for him. This is due to the
fact that he is not a pative-born Ameri-
can citizen.
There have been several clashes be-
tween the members of the Minnesota del.
egatfon and several instances might be
pointed out wherein they have failed to
agree on certain matters which have not
been made public and which, by the way,
probably worked against the interests Of
the entire state Sc far as legislation and
other matters are concerned. 1t Is pre-
sumed that the jealousies existing In the
past will continue as long as the present
members remain I'm congress. Outward
ly there Is little Indication of the strife
within. That every man in the delega-
ton Is a hard worker Is conceded. II
the nine members were united, however,
1t goes without saying that they would
be more capable of carrying through
legislation of benefit to the state than
they are at the present time or at any
time In the past.
Commerce of the United States with
Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Hawaiian.
Philippine and Samoan islands continues
to show rapid gain. The December fig
ures of the treasury bureau of statistics
show for the single month of December
exports of considerably more than $1,000
900 to Cuba, and imports valued at $l,S55,
000 from Cuba; to Puerto Rico, exports
valued at SS12, 600, against S163,6C0 in De-
cenlber 1898, to the Hawaiian islands, ex-
ports exceeding s1,eOO,0o in value, against
1886, o0o in December, 1898, and to the Phil
ippine islands, $4,000, against $4,000 in
December, 1898. Taking the entire year
andSthe five islands, or groups of islands.
Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Hawaiian and
Samoan islands, the total for 1899 shows
an increase of more than 100 per cent in
exports to those islands over the year
1898. while the imports from them show
an increase of nearly so per cent over
those of 1898. Naturally the commerce of
Cuba would show very material gains
compared with that of 1898 or 1897, when
war prevailed in that island, but an ex-
animation Of the earlier figures Of our
commerce with that island shows that
the imports from the United States to 1t
in 1899 were larger than those of any
earlier calendar year, and very much
greater than those Of any save the reel
procity years Of 1892 and 1898 The same
Is true of Puerto Rico. while the exports
from the United States to the Hawaiian
islands are more than twice as great as
in any year prior to 1898, and the imports
from them 50 per cent in excess OF those
of any preceding year In the case OF
the Philippines the increase is much
larger so far as 1t relates to exports,
which reached, in 1899, 81, $4,000, as against
an annual average of about sloo,Voo our
ing tbe preceding decade.
-" & Van Antwerp.