Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-23
POLITICAL DRIFT.


The states which elect governors this
year are Ohio, Iowa, Massachusetts, Ken
lucky and Maryland
Three constitutional amendments will be
voted on In New York state and a judge Of
year.
There are forty-three confederate veter-
ans in the Fifty-eighth congress. thirteen
in the senate and thirty in the house Of
representatives.
The attempted bribery OF the Massachu-
setts legislature appears to have failed be-
cause the approachable members insisted
upon 81 200 each. the scale fxed by the Mis-
souri, Boodlers' union. and the slush fund
was not large enough to stand the strain.
In Michigan the state Legislature Is ar
ranging a junketing trip for members to
Andersonville, Ga, to dedicate a monument
to the 200 Michigan soldiers who died there
In civil war days. The monument is to
cost 5000, and It is proposed to spend over
half as much on the trip. Some opposition
to the juniket has developed. one senator
declaring in open session that ''the plan to
spend $1,000 In dedioating q 5000 monument
Is ridiculouR"
A suggestion from somebody that George
democratic presidential ticket next year has
prompted that gentleman to say. as re-
ported. that It is "a superb piece Of alb
surdity to suppose that any eastern man
would stand the remotest chance OF the
nomination" "of course" he added. ''the
vice presidency offers a chance for man
from this region. But az far as myself
am concerned do not want e."
Senator Beveridge OF Indiana has pune
tured the vice presidential boom which
somebody started for him recently. In .
letter to James p. Ross OF Wabash, who
had inquired regarding the matter. Mr.
Beveridge denies the published report that
he is a candidate for the place named. and
declares that he never wrote letter saying
he was. He adds: II am content with my
work in the senate, where 1 expect, by the
partiality of the people Of Indiana, to re-
main"
A senatorial boom has been started In
the state of Washington on behalf Of Con-
gressman Francis w. Cushman, the man
who promised to make a speech in the
house that would have to be printed on
asbestos paper, with hand grenades for
general distribution. Mr.. Cushman's friends
say that the state needs advertising more
than any other thing, and that he is Just
the man to do the work. The congress-
man is a picturesque orator and is widely
known as the Abe Lincoln Of the far
west"
Both houses of the Florida legislature
| have adopted by large majority resolu-
tions asking congress to impeach Judge
Charles Swayne OF the United States dis
trict court of the northern district Of
! Florida. 1t is asserted that he does not
reside in his district, required by law;
he is Incompetent and that he is sus-
ceptible to corrupt influences and has been
corruptly influenced. His friends deny the
truth of any of the charges and say that
the action of the legislature grows out Of
old political animosities.
| What does 1t cost to run the government
This year, according to a writer in Success,
the expenditures will be about t651 100000,
including S2oO0.0OO for the postal service,
which is nearly self-sustaining. The rev.
enues will amount to about $694, 900, 900, leav-
ing surplus of $4S,0OO.O 900. Last years sur
plus was se1, 900. of which some $4,000,
900 were used in the redemption of govern
ment securities. The heaviest item in our
national expenditure is the pension account
which now amounts to $1Ss, 900 a year,
or nearly 100000 a day.
Augustus e. Wilson. a leading lawyer of
Louisville, has given his consent to be a
candidate for the republican nomination for
governor of Kentucky. He used to be
prominent in the party. but in recent years
has not taken an active part in political
affairs. He is a native OF Kentucky 81
years of age and president Of the Harvard
club Of Louisville. He was chief clerk OF
the Treasury department at Washington
for while under Secretary Benjamin H.
Bristow He has been four times defeated
as a candidate for congress.