Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-07-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON Tulv TX 1901

WASHINGTON, July Is, 1901.
There are number of Republicans some
of them prominent, who would like to
prevent the election of ''Dave Henderson,
Speaker of the next House is certain, but
enough of them to do it. Consequently,
the stories of an organization to try to
defeat Henderson, are moonshine. Poll
against the stone walls. If there were
Henderson, the fight would be made,
most are likely to be found shouting the
loudest for his nomination by acclamation
in order that they may not be left out when
he distributes the Committee plums.
Personally, Henderson favors tariff reform
of some sort, although he probably does
not go as far as Representative Babcock
but what his personal opinions are, will not
effect the result, as he has a record showing
that there is never any difficulty of his
being completely controlled by the party
bosses. That is one reason why his re-
election was assured before the adjourn
ment of the last Congress. The bosses
know his measure and do not care to take
any chances WITH a new man.
Democrats have done great deal of
talking among themselves about the Ohio
Democratic platform, but few of them care
to express opinions about it for publication.
One of the exceptions is Representative
Bankhead, of Alabama, who said of it,
''The Ohio platform is all right and should
receive the support of every Democrat in
the Buckeye State. 1t conforms to exist
ing conditions and states the issues of the
campaign in language clear enough for any
body to understand suppose the Repub-
licans thought the Democrats would re-
affirm the Kansas City platform and renew
allegiance to Mr.. Bryan and all that sort
of thing. But they were fooled Mr.
Bryan, am satisfied, is ms popular with
the Democrats of Ohio MS he WIS in 1896
and in 1900, but there was no need or
necessity 10 discuss him in the State Con-
vention. lt would have added nothing to
have placed free silver in the platform, and
it might have caused division in the
ranks. As it is, the Ohio Democrats have
agreed to bury the past and have formed n
line of battle ON conditions that have arisen
since the last campaign. believe as Con-
ventions are held in other States, the pco-
Pile will witness the Democratic leaders
following in the footsteps of the Ohio
Democrats. The Democrats of the South
have the greatest respect for Mr.. Bryan and
he can always depend upon royal welcome
when he comes among us. 1t does not
signify that he has lost popularity, when
the Democrats i'll Convention decline to
mention in State platforms the issues as set
forth in the late National Convention. We
must meet changed conditions and that
cannot be done by sticking to the issues of
the past. As to immediate national
issues, Mr.. Bankhead said "The Republi-
cans seem to be divided on the question of
tariff revision and the adoption of reciproc-
ity treaties. l am in favor Of tariff revision,
and it must come sooner or later. / am
opposed to trusts, and | believe that the
only way to kill the trusts is to pass
revenue tariff Havemeyer says that the
tariff is the mother of trusts, and he ought
to be good authority"
The charges against the Collector of
Internal Revenue at Louisville Kentucky,
of having violated the Civil Service law,
together with the opinion of the Civil
Service Commission that the evidence sus-
tains the charges, have been referred to Mr..
Mckinley. As it is well known that the
violations of law, Of which there is no
doubt, was instigated by the Republican
bosses in Kentucky. Under ordinary circunl-
stances, Mr.. Mckinley would not deem it
advisable to take any action that could be
regarded as a rebuke to them, but rum0r
says the circumstances in this case are not
ordinary, and that there is concealed there /
in plot, which involves the election of
successor to Senator Deboe. According to
this rumor, Mr.. Mckinley is being urged
to take advantage of these charges to
remove Collector Sapp, and to appoint in
his place J. A. Craft, former Democrat,
and part of the plot is that Col. r. w.
Knott, Editor of the Louisville Post who
processes to be a Democrat, but who sup
ported Mckinley in 1896 and in 1900 and
who is now supporting the administration
policy, is to be sent to the Senate as an
administration Senator by the combined
votes of administration Democrats and
Republicans. AS the story is told in
Washington, Col. Knott pledges himself to
get enough of his kind of Democrats elected
to the Kentucky Legislature to make a
majority with the Republicans added. Per-
haps when the story becomes known in
Kentucky, the Democrats will be able to
make it impossible for Col. Knott to carry
out his part of the plot, even if Mr.. Nc
Kinley agrees to become a party to it.