Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 August 1898 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From our regular correspondent.) The government is preparing to send food to Cuba, not only for the insurgents, but for all that need it, including the Spanish soldiers, but the Red Cross Society is ahead of the government as it is already distributing food and other relief in Cuba. * * * It is stated at the War Department that no troops will be discharged until it is known how many will be needed to garrison Porto Rico and Cuba, and it will be some time before that is known, as military commissions are first to meet at San Juan and Havana, and arrange the terms and time of evacuation of Porto Rico and Cuba. The Spaniards will be hurried out of Porto Rico as fast as possible, but as there are six or eight weeks more of the unhealthy season in Cuba, our representatives on the Commission are not likely to object to the Spaniards taking all the time they want to leave there. * * * There is some very strong talk among the Senators and Representatives, who have been in Washington since Sampson was advanced eight numbers and promoted to be Rear Admiral, while Schley, who was also promoted to be Rear Admiral, was only advanced six numbers, which makes Sampson one number ahead of him, instead of one number behind him as he was before these promotions were made. While it is not regarded as likely that any attempt will be made to hang up Sampson’s promotion in the Senate, it is almost certain that occasion will be taken in both House and Senate, to show that he owes it more to favoritism than to anything he did. It will not be more surprising, either, should the resolution offered by Representative Berry, extending the thanks of. Congress to Schley for destroying Cervera’s fleet, be adopted.

* * * If the democrats do not elect a majority of the House, this year, it will not be the fault of the democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is preparing for a vigorous campaign with confident expectations of success. While the Committee will, as usual, furnish the candidates with the kind of literature they think will be most effective in their districts, it will also distribute literature criticising the war revenue law, because of its being harder upon the poor than upon the rich; showing up some of the many evils resulting from Secretary Alger’s using the War Department as a republican partisan machine, and the financial question will not .be neglected, but will be discussed in accordance with the Chicago platform. Democrats who have visited the Committee headuarters, without exception, regard the close of the war at this time as decidedly advantageous for the democratic party, because it will enable them to bring other questions to the attention of the voters and because it will prevent the other side going into the campaign with a false plea that a vote against a republican candidate would be a vote against the conduct of the war. It has not yet been determined whether the administration should be attacked for its action in giving Spain too much to say through the three joint commissions provided for in the terms of peace, when it could just as easily have settled everything in the terms themselves, which Spain would have been bound to aooept anyway, although such action is being strongly advocated. ••• V Mr. McKinley is still in doubt as to the policy we should pursue—towards the Phillippines. It was that doubt that oaused the temporary peaoe agreement, signed by representatives of the two governments,’to provide that the Com-

missioners to negotiate the treaty of peace, which shall determine the final disposition of the Phillippines should meet at Pans, not later than Oct. 1, when it would have been easy to have saved a month by having the Commission meet September 1. The Spanish government has been quick to recognize this doubt on the part of Mr. McKinley, and to act upon it; it has issued a statement to the Spanish people saying 4hat they had reason to believe the peace commission would allow Spain to retain the Phillipphies. What the policy of the administration is to be towards the Phillippines will be plainer after Mr. McKinley names the five American peace commissioners. The only one yet known is Secretary Day, who may be considered as Mr. McKinley’s mouthpiece and personal representative. It is daily becoming plainer that a great mistake was made in allowing Spain to have any say as to the disposition of the Phillippines. While there are differences of opinion among our people, as to our keeping the islands, the opinion is practically unanimous that Spain should not be allowed to retain them. It will be farcical for us to talk about driving Spain out of Cuba and Porto Rico for the sake of humanity, and then to allow Spain to keep the Phillippines after they were practically in our possession. We should not confine our humanity to the Cubans, else foreigners will refuse to believe that it is humanity.