The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-05-10
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
ingtOn.
w AS HINGTON.
communicated

d. lu>I OtIlId any. lUSt now fguT-
ing in some Of the big newspapers?
That question has been asked very
frequently in Wa ~hiugton Of late.
and not few answers have been
IN the affirmative. although what
purpose Of the administration
would be served by a war scare
or an actual war with Germany or
any other nation j. not apparent.
unless II be a scheme 10 work uD
public opinion in favor of Con-
gre>Sional legislation for and
enormous increase in ouruavy. 1t
Is certain. however. that men very
close to the administration. are
doing their best 70 increase the
talk about Germans intention to
grab one or more Of the little re
publics on this continent. regard.
less OF the Monroe doctrine.
This is playing with dynamite.
1t is not probable that Germany
wants a war with Us, aud it i ab
Solutely certain that we don't
want war with Germany. hut it
IS easily possible for fool talk here
and in Germany to get the two
peoples so wrought up that some
little incident. which under ordi
nary circumstances would amount
to nothing, might bring on one Of
the most costly wars ever fought.
Senator McLaurjn may continue
to call himself a democrat if il
pleaSeS him TO DO 50. but the fact
that the distribution OF the Fed
eral patronage of South Carolina
is III his hands, shows what sort
OF democrat be is. Tie white
republicans of that state. who
have monOpoliZed the Federal of
tice> for thirty five years. except
during the two Cleveland terms
are doing much growing, but
those, who after appointment.
are told. when they come to Wash
ington, that il Is necessary for
them TO have Senator McLaurin'S
endorsement, before they can get
IT, not a little amusement was
caused in Washiugton when the
news of Senator McLauin's at
temp to get eX- Senator Wade
Hampton, to throw his influence
to the administration movement
III exchange for he Office Of Post
Master at Columbia. Gen.
Hampton Is poor man, and one
OF the reasons therefor is that he
could never be bought. That was
well known in ashington
through Gen. Iiampton's long and
distinguished services in the Sen.
ate, and as railroad commissioner.
This must have been well known
to Senator McLaurln. but. having
changed himself, he doubtless i'm.
agined that Gen. Hampton had
also changed. He was quickly
undeceiNed.
he radical position taken by
Representative Babcock. of Wis
consln, as to the necessity for a
revision Of the Dingley tariff. SO
as toput trust controlled products
on the free list. has in the opiuion
Of the hide bound protectionist
republicans made it impossible
for Mr.. Babcock 10 be chairman
of the Republican Congressional
Campaign Committee in the next
Campaign. Mr.. Babcock's friends
say that he decided not to con.
tlnue as chairman Of that com
mittee before he publicly an.
nouuced his attitude on the tariff
Democrats who have been quietly |
Keeping tab on the talk about Mr.. !
Babcock'S proposed tariff reform. |
are decidedly pleased with the
outlook. They believe that the
question will bring about a war !
IN the republican party, compared |
with which the old Stalwart and /
antl-StalWart war Will seem child'S |
play. and that the result is bound .
to be beneficial to the democratic
party, not only because it will !
hold the balance of power in Con
greNS, but because there is a strong
that it Will also cause
1t to elect the next President. If
Mr.. BabcOck can get the republi-
can votes he claims, a tariff reform
bill along the lines he advocates
can be put through Congress with
the assistance Of democratic votes.
and Mr.. Mckinley can veto it if
he dare.
Another row is on over the pur.
chase of foreign made arms bv the
War Department. The depart.
ment ordered the purchase of one.
thousand German magazine pis-
tolls, with the understanding that
II, after practical test by the
army, they proved satisfactory.
twenty thousand more would be
bought. This brought a vigorous
protest from well known Amer.
lcan fire-arm company. which
claims to have a pistol of Ameri-
can design and manufacture. in
every WAY aS 1oo1 ac fin Ho,,.,.