People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 May 1895 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, May 17.—President Cleveland is not pleased with the news from the silver fight now being waged by members of his party in Illinois. Every thing looks like the silver men are having a walkover in that state, and Mr. Cleveland thinks that the situation was misrepresented to him when he was asked to go to Chicago and make a “sound money” speech. He says that he was told that the “sound money” men of his party were well organized and that they only needed a strong send off from him to sweep the silver Democrats out of the state. He gave them the send off in that letter to the Chicrgo “sound money” committee, but up to date the most of the sweeping has been done by the s’lver men. About the only conspicuous leader the “sound money” democrats appear to have is Senator Palmer and many believe that his methods of conducting the fight against silver are beneficial to the white metal. Mr. Cleveland is said to be much surprised at the apparent apathy of two of the leaders of his party —Hon. Win. R. Morrison and ex-congressman Ben Cable—from whom he expected great work against silver. Mr. Morrison left Washington a few weeks ago with the understanding that he was going to take a leading part in preaching against silver. After reaching Illinois and looking over the situation Mr. Morrison discovered that his duties as Interstate Commerce Commissioner required his presence at a number of western points and he left without sweeping out any silver men. Mr. Cable fought silver very bravely in his conferences with Mr. Cleveland and other members of the administration, but if he is doing any fighting in Illinois the news hasn’t reached Washington. These are some of the reasons why Mr. Cleveland feels like he w’as buncoed by that Chicago committee.. Ex-speaker and prospective Speaker Reed came to Washington unheralded this week, and instead of going to the hotel at which he usually stops when in Washington, he was driven from the depot direct to the residence of Representative Hitt, of 111., who has been very ill for some time, but who is now slightly better. Mr. Reed could not possibly arrive in Washington without the knowledge of the newspaper men, and had he gone to his usual stopping place, his visit would have excited little notice . But bis evident intention to keepsecret his presence in Washington was enough to start rumors flying. One of these said that President Cleveland had sent for Mr. Reed in order to get him to promise that if an extra session of congress is called the business, in the House, should be confined to the object to be stated in the call—providing additional revenue for the government. Another ;hat Mr. Reed was about to make a sensational announcement defining his position on the silver question, and dozens of others, each widely differing from the other, showing them to be merely guesswork. Mr. Reed, says his visit w r as solely for the purpose of seeing his sick friend, Mr. Hitt. His intimates accuse him of having run away from

home from fear of the alleged glass bombs which the telegraphic news says were found in the vicinity of his Portland residence, and, as he always appreciates a joke on himself as well as if it were on somebody else, they are getting lots of fun out of the accusations. Admiral Meade will not be court-martialed for making those strictures upon the foreign policy of the administration.Firends of the administation say he escaped because there is no way to compel either the admiral or the reporter who wrote the interview’ to testify before a courtmartial. The friends of the admiral say the administration was afraid to order him courtmartialed. The unprejudiced public think the forty years service in the navy of Admiral Meade ought to outweigh an outbreak of temper on his part, and that his talk should have been ignored by the administration. He will probably be officially scolded by secretary Herbert, and that will close the incident. The continual growth of the treasury deficit for the current fiscal year, which passed the fifteen million mark during the present w*eek, is attracting some attention, but terasury officials insist that there is enough money in sight to carry the government until the regular session of congress. The tongues of the politicians have been set w’aging by a report that it had been suggested to Gov. Watson, of Delaware, that he name a silver democrat to contest the seat left vacant by the expiration of the term of Senator Higgins, w’hich is claimed by Col. Dupont. The implication contained in this suggestion is not complimentary to its maker nor to the silver Senators who comprise a majority of the senate. However, there is no probability that the financial or other views of either of the contestants—it is presumed the Gov. will appoint—will be a factor in deciding who shall fill the vacant seat left by Mr. Higgins.