Washington Letter

Washington, D. C. January , 189b. Messrs. Gorman, Harrity & Co., allowed the other members of the democratie National Committee, wbicb met here this week, to imagine that they decided the time and place for holding the democratie national convention, but as a matter of fact the members of that astute politieal firm liad settled the matter some time before. A gentleman who is usually good authority upon matters relating to the business of the firm says there is only one man who could have changed the result. That man is ex-Secretary Whitney. He was, so this gentleman says, informed by Gorman, Harrity & Co. that if he would agree to accept the democratie nomination he could name the time and place for holding the convention and ft'rite his own platform. Mr. Whitney, who knows a thing or two about the value of politieal nominations, is said to have replied in substance that although he was a wealthy man he didn't care to indulge in the pastime of throwing good money down rat holes. There were a number of more or less interestin g ghost stories floating around Washington this week about Mr. Cleveland having authorized the statement to certain members of the democratie committee that he would not allow his name to go before the convention, and many prominent newspapers paid telegrapb tolls on these stories, but most diligent inquiry failed to lócate a single member of the committee, who would acknowledge having received any such information, and some of thein did not hesitate tosay that thev did not believe Mr. Cleveland had authorized anyoiae to make such a statement. The best inormed men in Washington still believe luit Mr. Cleveland wants the nominaionagain, and thatnothing short of absolute proof that he cannot get the necessary number of votes in the conventiou will cause him to say one word against he pre8eutation of his name to the eou'ention, and every movementof the administration indicates the correctness of his belief. Amos Cummings, of N. Y., has again hown himself to be about the most independent democratie member of the íouse. Amos was a gallant soldier and t riled him when one of his Tammany colleagues charged that the amend inent roposed by the republicans to the penion laws, intended solely to secure jusice to the old soldiers and their widows, was nothing but an attempt to loot the Treasury. Mr. Cummings started off y emphatically repudiating the sentiments expressed by his Tammany coleague (Mr. Bartlett), "on behalf of the )eople ; of the Union soldiers ; on beïalf of widows and orphans, and finally and emphatically on behalf of Tammany Hall." He then paid his attention in cutting language to the present adminstration of the Pension Office. He said t was time to cali a halt on the Pension Office. The old soldiers and poor widdows were standing in hourly expectation that something cowardly from the Pension Office would strike them; they were being stabbed in the back trom a quarter from which they should expect nothing but praise and justice. 'Rah for Amos. Senator Mills, of Texas, who has been wobbling around ever sinee he made that declaration against free coinage of silver, made a speech this week in which he tried to square himself with the silver men in Texas. He didn't exactly go back on his original position in favor of free coinage, but he befogged the question and tried to beat the devil around the stutnp by advocating the coinage of the silver bullion in the Treasury, the payment of government obligations in both silver and gold, and denouncing national banks and the issue of interest hearing bonds. It is evident that Mr. Mills is still "between the devil and the deep sea," where it wilí be-re inembered he declared himself to be in a spee-h made while the bill for the repeal of the purchasing clause oL the so-called Sherman silver law was before the Senate. The trouble with Mr. Mills is that the gray matter on the inside of his head is altogether out of proportion to the horse power of his lungs. In other words he talks too uiuch and thinks too little. Gen. Walker, commander-in-chief of the G. A. E., was in Washington this week with the purpose of conferring with the members of the House and Senate Pension committees on the proposed pension legislation of the sesión. The Senate Finance coinmittee has not yet acted upon the House tariff bill, but expects to do so at its next meeting. The republicans managers of the bill still hope to get it reported to the ate without atnendment, but are not as coufideut of it as they were. Some interesting gossip relating to the position of the admiuistration towards Cuba, has followed the statement of a personal friend of Mr. Cleveland's tli at if Spain sold Cuba to Englaud, France or Germany, either of which would gladly buy it, the administration would not regard it as a violation of the Monroe doctrine, and would not protest. There is ruuch speculation as to wbat Congress would do under such circumstances. There should not be the slightest doubt of i ts action. It should, in tones that would be heard around the world, forbid the consumation of such a deal, and it probably would.