Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1898 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From our regular correspondent.) Should Senator Burrows fail to develop strength enough among the republicans of the Michigan legislature to get renominated, and his failure is expected, Secretary Alger, with the combined backing of Gov. Pingree and Mr. McKinley, will, it is understood, make a rush for the Senatorship. . * ♦ It is announced that the administration has sent an ultimatum to Spain, demanding immediate action upon the demand of this government for the Philipines. Just why that announcement should be made now, is a little bit puzzling, but perhaps those who made it know what they were doing, and why they are doing it. • * • According to those who know, the republican rejoicing over the alleged defeat of silver in the Congressional campaign is premature. It is predicted that many republicans elected from Western districts will vote for silver, if it is made necessary for them to vote either for or against it, because the sentiment of their states regardless of politics, is for silver. * * « * There may be democrats who are downcast over the result of the election, but if so, they haven’t been seen. All those who are talking on the subject express the opinion that the party made a splendid showing under the circumstances, and that reducing the republican majority in the House almost to the vanishing point, puts the democrats in a better position to make a winning fight in 1900 than they would have been had they captured the next House. With both branches of Congress in their hands, the republicans will be certain to make lots of good democratic campaign material in the next two years. • * • Administration republicans have already begun to put out feelers to ascertain what chance there will lie of getting an administration man elected Speaker of the next House, ' instead of Czar Reed. They are afraid of Reed, who is known to hold anti-administration views on the expansion question, and believed to hold them upon others, but they are also afraid to show their hand unless certain that enough votes to control the republican caucus can be secured. Every republican elected to the next House is to be carefully sounded to ascertain whether he would, if the administration desired it, vote against nominating Reed for Speaker. In putting out those feelers, the name of Representative Henderson, of lowa, is suggested as a possible administration candidate for Speaker, but care is taken to leave the impression that no particular candidate would be insisted on; they only wish to ascertain whether it is possible to defeat Reed. ♦ * • Mr. McKinley has been getting some very bad advice concerning the recent race trouble in North and South Carolina, but he has been wise enough not to accept it, or at least, not to try to carry it out. These unwise advisers have been trying to get Mr. McKinley to order Federal troops into both of those states, although no request for troops has been received from the governor of either. He has been told that the same section of the U. S. Revised Statutes, under which President Cleveland sent Federal troops into Illinois during the railroad riots, gave him the authority to do so regardless of the regularly constituted authorities of the states. He has done nothing further than to countenance the semi-official statement that if any Federal official in either state was interfered with, a force of deputy U. S. Marshals would be used to protect them, and in case of their inability to do so, that they would be reinforced by Federal troops. Some of the men ordered out of both states, among them a white Post Master, from S. C. are in Washington, trying to pose as martyrs, and to persuade Mr. McKinley to get mixed up in their quarrel; but every one of them would gladly compromise by aocepting an appointment in Washington. * • * The outcome of the efforts of Boss Hanna and other McKinley boomers to jolly “Teddy” Roosevelt into supporting the claims of Mr. McKinley for renomination in 1900, by promising him that they will support him in 1904, will be watched for with interest. Before Roosevelt was ever thought of as a rough rider or as Governor of New York, Mr. McKinley secured Platt’s promise of support in 1900; but as Roosevelt only put on the Platt collar after he had practi-

cally made his nomination for Governor a certainty, in order to get Platt’s machine to help elect him, he may through his jSower aS governor, be able to prevent Platt controlling the state delegation to the next National Convention, thus making it impossible for Platt to deliver the promised votes to Mr. McKinley, without his consent. What Roosevelt will do, will depend, in the opinion of those who know his disposition thoroughly, upon what he thinks will best promote his own political interests and upon what he thinks he can accomplish. If he gets the idea that he can secure the nomination himself, the S Hying of the friends of Mr. Mcinley will have no effect upon him, whatever. It is whispered that Hanna intends to tempt “Teddy” by offering to throw Hobart overboard and make the ticket McKinley and Roosevelt.