Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1899 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From oar regular correspondent.) The panic of the administration over the situation in Ohio, daily grows worse, and Mr. McKinley tells the Ohio republicans who call on him that the state must be carried at all hazards. He sent a trusted personal messenger to New York to meet Boss Hanna when he arrived from Europe and tell him just how blue things look from the administration point of view; also to impress upon him the necessity of taking steps to see that plenty of money was provided for use in Ohio. It is probably the taking of those “steps” which caused Boss Hanna to stop in New York, instead of coming direct to Washington. The matter has been discussed in Cabinet meetings and two members, -Postmaster General Smith and Secretary Wilson designated to take the stump. Mr. Wilson will speak mostly in the agriculture section, his powers of persuasion among farmers being supposed to be wonderful, while Mr. Smith will talk mostly to city and town audiences. The ordering of the Civilian Philippine Commissioners home was also influenced to a certain extent, by the Ohio scare. It is hoped to have the next fighting campaign under way, before "election day, and the civilian Commissioners are gotten out of the way so that Otis can have no excuse for not pushing the fighting. So much for the republican view of the Ohio campaign. t t

Democratic confidence in success in Ohio is even greater than the republican fright. Mr. McLean, who is now in Ohio to remain until after election, is in constant communication with his Washington friends. He says he feels absolutely certain of being elected Governor, and he is not the sort of man to Bay so without believing it himself. From other sources comes the same sort of news. The democrats are united and enthusiastically confident, while the republicans are divided into factions, some of which would rather humiliate Boss Hanna whom they have never forgiven for the rough-shod manner in which he kicked them out of the state machine, to make places for his henchmen, than to accomplish any other one thing. There is also much more Ohio republican opposition to the imperialistic policy of the administration, and especially to the so fir unsuccessful war in the Philippines, than even the democrats supposed existed until recently. Much of this opposition is silent, and will hardly result in direct votes for the democratic ticket, but it will increase the stay-at-homes on election day, which will be the next best thing to democratic votes.

The object of a delegation of Washington negroes, including a preacher and several ex-office-holders, in calling at the White House, wds a reminder of reconstruction days. They seemed possessed of the idea that Mr. McKinley has power to interfere with the proposed election law in North Carolina, nnd they wish him to put a clause iu his annual message to congress, recommending that the proposed electiou law be declared illegal because of its violation of the 15th amendment. Mr. McKinley is a strong partisan, but he knows too much to attempt to meet the wishes of these negroes, even if they were citizens of North Carolina, instead of being meddlers with what in no way concerns them. The “nigger” question will never figure prominently again in Presidential messages or in Congressional legislation. If unconstitutional laws are passed in North Carolina, or in any other state, the people can get them passed upon by the proper legal tribunal, without either the help or hindrance of the President or any official connected with the executive branch of the government, and the decrees of the courts will be obeyed by the people. The supreme court of the U. S. alone possesses the power to declare State laws unconstitutional.

Ex-Senator Joe Blackburn, who has been resting a little in Washington, preparatory to returning to the stump, did not give the story that Col. Bryan would not speak in Kentucky, a chance to get fairly started, before lie headed it off by saying: “Mr. Bryan wrote me that he would be glad to speak in Kentucky and would leave the details to me. There was no promise of any number of speeches, nor were any definite arrangements agreed upon. I have written him that we will be ready for him any time after the first of October, and by that time, from present indications, the bolting movement in Kentucky will have dwindled away into nothingness

and Mr. Bryan will have a solid democratic party in front of him.” t f The naval officials responsible for assigning Admiral Schley to the command of the Sonth Atlantic Squadron, the most undesirable flag-command in the Navy, evidently felt a little bit ashamed, as they took the trouble to give out statements about the intention of the department to increase the number of vessels in the squadron, the importance of the command in case of War with Central or South America, etc. The real object is probably to get Schley out of reach of inquisitive congressional committees.