Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 October 1898 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From oar regular correspondent.) 001. Ike Hill, whose long connection with the Howe has made his judgment good on Congressional politics, said: “We have got the republicans sure. Nothing short of a miracle can save them. Why, I believe that we will gain four Congressmen right in the President’s own state.” Col. Hill says that General Gosvenor’s recent offer to bet SIO,OCX) that the democrats would not gain a Congressional District in Ohio was S’ a blufF, and that he will ly undertake to make Gen. ivenor a present of SI,OOO, if he will put up the money to back his offer. * * * Mr. McKinley knows the correct thing when he sees it, even if he doesn’t always do it- He is said to have done some very vigorous kicking about the eastern political tour that Boss Hanna has arranged for him, beginning with his appearance at the Philadelphia Peace Jubilee ceremonies, and extending to New York City, and possibly Boston. It is creditable to Mr. McKinley that he should have kicked at being used for such a purpose, but the credit he will get wilt drop to zero if he makes the trip after all, and it is the understanding in Washington that he will. It will show that he dare not refuse to do what Hanna directs him to do, even when he knows it is not right. * * It is a little bit puzzling why the administration allows time to be wasted by the Peace Commission, at Paris, in discussing various propositions of the Spanish Commissioners concerning our paying or guaranteeing the payment of any portion of the Spanish bonds, charged against Cuba, if it be true, as has been claimed right along, that the American Commissioners had positive instructions before they left Washington, to the effect that this Government would under no circumstances either pay or guarantee the payment of one dollar* of Spanish bonded indebtedness of any kind. It seems as though even Spaniards could have been made to clearly understand that position without wasting nearly four weeks discussing it, if that really be the position of the administration. * * * There is a wide gulf between the civil service commission and Perry Heath, First Assistant Post-master-General. Perry issued a notice the other day to all Federal office holders that there was nothing in the Civil Service law to prevent their jumping in and whooping up things for republican candidates, and that the administration expected them to do it, or words to that effect. The Civil Service Commission has issued a circular to the members of the seven hundred boards of examiners throughout the country, warning them against “pernicious political activity,” under penalty of removal from the Boards. Inasmuch as the members of these examining Boards are, in almost every instance, Federal office holders and that their removal from the boards would not affect their offices, the penalty is not a severe one by any means. *.* Young “Jim” Blaine, who by grace of pull holds a captain’s commission in the volunteer service, has gall, if he has nothing else. The whole country knows that he was ordered home from Manilla, whither lie went as a staff officer, because he was fonder of intoxicants than of duty, and the opinion has been frankly expressed by officers that he ought to be courtmartialed and dishonorably dismissed from the Army in the interest of discipline. That being the situation, it was thought that favoritism of the rankest kind was shown when the War Department ordered that Capt. James G. Blaine should be honorably discharged because there was “no further need for his services,” and that “Jim” would jump at the chance of being let down so easily. Not he. As soon as he arrived in Washington, he succeeded in having the order of the War Department held up until he could see Mr. McKinley and try to have it withdrawn entirely. Great as Jim’s pull undoubtedly is, it is doubtful whether Mr. McKinley will consent to his remaining in the army. * * * The republican bosses are hot after the republican office holders in Washington, both voters and non-voters.- The voters have all been given to understand that if they do not go home and vote they will be blacklisted, and to remove their last excuse, the republican Congressional Committee is offering to furnish them with transportation when they say they are unable to pay for it themselves.

But this transportation is not to be a gift. Every voter who avails himself of the Committee’s offer is told that he must make a “voluntary” contribution, within a given time to the Committee, of an amount equal to the cost of his railroad ticket, or take the consequences. Boss Quay’s man is sending letters to Washington to bulldoze the Pennsylvanian office-holders into not only going home to vote but contributing sls each to the campaign fund. In his letter asking for the money he says, “unless a vigorous and aggressive campaign is waged, we may lose three or-four districts.” Unless the reS>rts made to Ex-Representative err, Secretary of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, are wrong, the republicans will lose those Congressional Districts in Pennsyluania, regardless of what sort of a campaign they wage, and they stand to lose many districts in other states as well.