The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-02-28
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. %, 1901.

President Mckinley doesn't partic-
ularly favor the idea of having Con-
gress lay down conditions for the ac-
ceptance of the Constitutional Con-
yention of Cuba, in advance of the
action of that convention, which is
now considering a supplementary
declaration setting forth the rela-
tions that shall exist between Cuba
and the United States, although he
is not opposing the attempt that is
now being made in that direction
with the hope of escaping an extra
session of Congress. The Presidents
present plan is to take no action on
the Cuban Constitution, which Gen
eral Wood has been instructed not to
officially forward to Washington un-
til the Convention has acted upon
the supplementary declaration it is
now considering. As soon as that
shall have been made it and the Con
stitution will be forwarded to Wash
ington and President Mckinley will
issue a call for an extra session of
Congress to consider them, provided,
of course, that the action of this Con
gress has made one unnecessary. The
House has everything in good shape
for the last week of the session, but
only legislative experts can untangle
the mixture in the Senate. Fortu-
nately, many of the Senators are leg
islative experts, and when they say
that all of the appropriation bills,
with the possible exception of the
River and Harbor bill, will get through
the layman must perforce take their
word for it and watch and see.
In the Senate the House bill, ap-
propriating $5,O0O,OOO for the st.
Louis exposition, before being passed
was amended to provide for closing
the exposition on Sunday and to APP
propriate $250,OOO for a government
exhibit at the Charleston, S. c., ex-
position.
Senator Morgan stirred up some
bad blood in his efforts to get the
Nicaragua Canal bill before the Sen
ate by charging the Republicans with
trucking to Great Britain because
they decided it would not be courte-
Gus to act upon the bill while the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty was Enacted
upon by Great Britain. Senator
Spooner reminded him that it was
the Senate that made the delay by
amending the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
and that the Senate could not pass
the canal bill while its own amend
ments were being considered by
Great Britain without a breach of in
ternational courtesy and decency.
President Mckinley has issued a
proclamation calling the Senate in
extra session March 4 at IL o'clock
noon. This is always done in inau-
ration years, the Senate being called
together to act upon executive nomi-
nations and has nothing whatever to
do with the contemplated extra SEES
sion of Congress.
1t cannot be denied that there are
great many wide awake office seek
ers in this country Within twenty
four hours of the publication of the
death of Mr. Housewife Wildman,
who was U. s. Consul at Hong Kong,
and his family through the sinking
of the steamship Rio de Janerio out
side the Golden Gate, no less than
seven applications for his place have
been filed at the Department of
State.
Everything is in good shape for the
Inauguration of President Mckinley
and Vice President Roosevelt, next
Monday. Places have been assigned
in organizations, military and civic,
numbering nearly forty thousand
men, Thanks to the public spirit of
Secretary Long, the Navy will be
more largely represented than in any
previous Inaugural parade. The
crews of seven vessels of the Navy
will march in the parade.
Opinion differs as to whether the
Oleomargarine bill will reach vote
in the Senate. 1t is generally admit
ted that if voted upon it will be pass
ed.
Under a resolu ton adopted by the
House, Speaker Henderson appointed
a committee of five, three Republicans
Moody, of Massachusetts, Overstreet,
of Indiana, and Long of Kansas, and
two Democrats, Bailey, of Texas, and
Newlands, of Nevada, to investigate
the pay roll of employees of the House
and report at once.
The Revenue Reduction bill will
not fail. After stubbornly standing
for their respective bills long enough
to brighten those who did not wish to
see the bill fail, the conferees began
to talk compromise, and it is now
said by them that a compromise bill
will be the result. Just what por-
tions of the bill will be most affected
INwV