The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-05-23
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER..
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 10Th.

| r. EDITOR:-lhcrc is every lnulcatlon
that the Hon. "Marc" Hanna will carry
the sobriquet, Subsidy Hanna" during
the rest of his political career. Only
twice during the Fifty seventh Congress
| has the junior Senator from Ohio made a
speech in the Senate, once VIII en- he vigor-
ouslv advocated the ship subsidy bill, and
once, this week, when he rose up to sup
port a bill which granted a subsidy esti-
mated at $1,C0O,000 to the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company This bill, which pro-
vidcs for Union Railway Station in
Washin gton, grants to the company named
funds and concessions which the attorneys
of the company themselves admit to be
worth $4,100,000. The whole history of
Congressional legislation in which the
company named has been interested is of
| the mcst unsavory character, but this bill
is the most Infamous of all the measures
so far passed and the circumstances which
attended its passage are, to say the least,
peculiar. On Wednesday evening there
was manifest very general determination
to return the bill to the committee which
framed it and a vote at that time would
have undoubtedly so resulted but the
friends of the bill secured the postpone
ment of the vote until Thursday What
happened in the interim l cannot ascer-
tain, bui on Thursday morning, at an hour
when ordinarily but few Senators are
present, practically all were in their seats
and by an almost straight party vote the
bill was passed. Senator Hansborough,
who had warmly urged the adoption of a
substitute which provided for municipal!
ownership of the depot, voted against the
measure. After the vote was taken it was
everywhere remarked that Senator Hanna
was regaining his former leadership.
While the Department of Justice is pro-
ceeding in the courts against the North
western Railway Merger" and against
the Beef Trust the republicans in Con-
gress are practically ratifying merger Of
the Pennsylvania and Baltimore & Ohio
lines and granting a subsidy of 100000
to the railway trust. Here is a magnifi-
cent opportunity for the President to eX-
ercise his power of veto to the great en-
barassment of his political rival, Hanna,
and at the same time prove his sincerity
in his opposition to trusts. 1t should be
remembered that, of the amount stated, a
large portion will be paid directly out of
the United States Treasury and the tax
payers will have Subsidy Hanna" to
thank.
The Philippine debate is not yet con-
Guided, but Senator Dubois has agreed
that, beginning today, the democratic
Senators will be prepared to speak con-
tinuously until the discussion is closed
Senator Spooner will speak for the repub-
licans and Senator Lodge will probably
sum up. Senator Dubois told me yester-
day that he thought the vote would be
cast the last of this week.
1t is with no little enjoyment that the
democrats view the present discontinue
Of their opponents. The republicans arc
facing a serious division of opinion in
their own ranks and which faction will
win no one can definitely predict. The
opponents of Cuban reciprocity are de-
termined that the isthmian canal bill shall
| take precedence over the former measure
when the Philippine bill is disposed of
Senator Plat, manager Of the Cuban bill
is not yet sufficiently sure of the support
| which straight reciprocity bill would
secure in the Senate to urge its immediate
| consideration and he apprl ciatcs that il
he reports the bill as passed by the House
port of the democrats, the friendship OF
the Sugar Trust would be forfeited. The
| only way out Of the dilemma would be
adjournment as soon as the Philippine
bill and the two remaining appropriation
bills are passed, but the obstacle to that
course, which is being considered, is the
publicly announced intention of the Presi-
dent to call an extra session in case Con.
gress adiourns without acting on the
Cuban bill. Viewed from any standpoint
it is a serious dilemma and the republicans
are facing it with a bad grace. If tie
President will yield almost immediate
adjournment will follow If sufficient
number of ''beet sugar Senator's can be
whipped into line the Cuban bill will be
passed and there will be no canal legisla-
ton, but the fear is that the canal bill will
have to be taken up and that would mean
the postponement of adjournment for
many weeks.
Tomorrow or the next night the repub-
licans of the House expect to Call a caucus
to consider the ACCESSIBILITY of passing the
Fowler banking and currency bill There
is no hope that the bill will be passed or
even considered at this session by the
Senate and there is little likelihood that
the Senate will pass it at the next session,
but it is the belief of the House leaders
that it will draw the democrats in the
fail campaign and it is with the intention
of stirring up the advocates of free silver
that the leaders wish to pass the measure
The bill provides for the retirement of
the greenbacks and the conveyance to the
and responsibilities The Western :e-
publican are seriously opposed to its pass
age as they believe it would be another
instance of the sacrifice Of their interests
to the general good of the party and they
consider that they have already been seri-
ously injured by the absolute rejection of
tariff revision. Whether the leaders will
be able to whip the insurgents into line in
the caucus remains to be seen.
The House spent all last week consider
ing the Naval appropriation bill, which
passed on Saturday. The debate at times
was most spirited and amusing. Repre-
sentative Williams, of Mississippi, read to
the House some doggerel concerning the
appointment of Crowninshield to the
European station which concluded with
the lines:
Great Crowninsliield : the greatest tar
That ever stayed ashore"
The verses were received with shouts of