The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-11-22
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington. Nov. I6.

From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington. Nov. 10, 1900
If radical republicans can have their
way the coming session of Congress
will see political fight not equaled in
intensity and bitterness since the re.
publcans tiled to pass the notorious
Force bill. The object now is the
same as it was then--to curtail the
political power of the South. The
bill under the new census provides for
reduction 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 a r1an
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 busi-
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
favor it later. He is a follower, not a
leader, of his party, and he is likely to
repeat his Porto Rican somersaul,, if
the radicals can control the republican
caucuses of the House and Senate.
Senator Thurston, OF Nebraska, seems
TO be hankering after the leadership of
the radicals in the Senate.
The Carnegie armor trust gets a
contract aggregating $4,000, 900,
and the Mldvale Steel Co., which
under bid the trust, in the first place,
gets left. That is the sum and sub
stance of Secretary Longs dickerlng
with the steel trust for price on
armour for new warshlps.
A statement was this week officially
given out denying that this govern
ment was in any Way hampering the
negotiations with China, as charged
by American correspondents of Lon.
don papers, and asserting that Minis
ter Conger and Mr.. Rockhill have
authority to act in their discretion up
on all matters of detail connected with
the negotiations.
Senator Vest, of Mo-, returned to
Washington last week in better physi-
cal condition than he has been for
five or SIX years, and his talk indicates
his intention 70 take his oldtime active
part in the business of the Senate at
the coming session of Congress. Sen
ator Vest has opinions on all things
political and does not hesitate to ex-
press them. He said of the PROPOSE
ton to reorganize the democratic
party: sit is nonsense to talk reorgan-
ization 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 principles of the
party as announced by Jefferson"
Speaking of Mr.. McKlnley's re-elec.
ton. Senator Vest said: "There is no
cause for Encouragement to democrats
in the result of the election. History
has simply repeated itself. No politl-
cal party in this country has ever been
able to defeat an administration which
was carrying on foreign war. The
Federal party was destroyed because
of its opposition to the war of 1872.
Thousands of patriotic 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 Philip
pines and then settle other questions
connected with the archipelago. And
nothing was more freely heard in the
campaign from conservative men than
the argument that it would not do to
discredit our government by withdraw
ing the troops from the Philippines
while armed opposition to the govern
ment existed there. l believe this
feeling did more for President Nc.
Kinley than any other one factor in
the election"
1t is said that the order for Russell
B. Harrison's honorable discharge from
the volunteer service-he has been a
Lieut.. Col. of volunteers-which was
last week issued by the War Depart
ment, was instigated by feeling against
his father, ex-President Harrison, for
not having been more active in his
support of Mr.. KcKinley in the cam
paign. The reason given was that
his services were no longer required,
but the fact that other volunteer Of
hcers are being sent to the Philippines
on every transport prevents its accept
ance by those who think his discharge