The Opelousas courier., 1902-01-18

Washington, ID. g., News.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. l3, 1902.

WASHINGTON, Jan. IL, 1902.
F The perfect discipline which
prevails among the Republicans
in Congress and the ease with
which q few leaders control the
majority was we'll demonstrated
on last Thursday when the House
Of Representatives voted for the
Hepburn bill by a vote of 308 to2.
That the individuality of members
is destroyed and the wishes of
certain constituents sacrificed are
of little moment to the party
leaders compared with what they
choose to consider the party good.
One Republican voted against the
Hepburn bill, Mr.. Loren Fletcher
of Minnesota. When seen by your
correspondent he stated that nu-
merous members of his party had
come to him after the vote and
expressed the wish that they had
dared vote as he had done, but
the fear Of the party lash doubt
less prevented them from doing
so.
Mr.. Fletcher gives as his reason
for voting against the measure the
fact that he has had eight years
experience as a member of the
committee before which the pros
and cons. of the Isthmian canal
have been discussed, and he be-
lieves that the enterprise. is
fraught with many dangers, and
that the estimates on the Nicara-
guam route, at least, are far too
low. Mr.. Fletcher admitted that
he might have voted for canal
along the Panama route, but he is
by no means enthusiastic for
canal along any route. He fur
ther believes that the advantages
from such a canal are greatly over
estimated. AS a matter of fact,
the Republican leaders regarded
any debate or decision by the
House d mere waste of time, and
it is in the Senate that the subject
will be discussed and u definite
plan Of action determined upon.
There seems to be little doubt
that the chief opposition to the
construction of the canal now en-
anates from Senator Allison and
Representative Cannon, chairmen
of the appropriation committees
of the Senate and House respec-
lively. Both of these gentlemen
express themselves as aghast at
the amount Of money which the
enterprise will require. Mr.. Can
non said yesterday: 1.-The United
States is a rich country and can
we'll afford b undertake any en-
terprise which will be for its
material welfare, but that is not
saying that it should enter into a
vast undertaking of this nature
without a most careful considera-
tion of the prospective benefits
and the most accurate estimates
obtainable as to the eventual
cost. =
The frank avowal Of his power
lessness in the matter of Southern
appointments, by Senator Hanna,
is regarded with no little amuse-
ment by the Democrats and con-
siderable concern by the Republi-
cans, the Senators. at least, As
is well known, all questions of
Southern appointments, under Mr.
| McKinley's regime, were decided
by Senator Hanna in his capacity
of Chairman of the National Com
mittee. Under the suppesition
that such was still the case, Ma
tional Committeeman C HaWley and
Estate Chairman Cecil Lyons, of
Texas, appealed to Mr.. Hanna on
behalf of some candidates fol
presidential appointment in theil
State. Mr. Hanna frankly told
them that he 40 longer had any.
thing to say in the matter of pres.
idential appointments, that they
were made by the President, and
by him alone, and that they woulo
have to appeal to theWhite House
Senator Hanna processes to regare
the change in the situation as g
relief, but, as Henry Wattersor
would say, and again BUT.
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