Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 October 1898 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From our regular correspondent.) The latest administration stomp speaker is Commissioner Evans, of the Pension Bureau, now in Tennessee and slated to go to Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. 'The word has been passed along to all federal office holders, big and little, that the more work they do in the Congressional campaign, the higher they will stand with the administration, and those, who are not in a position to do any can square themselves by a cash contribution. * * * The speeches made by Mr. McKinley on his western trip were not impromptu by any means. On the contrary, they were carefully prepared before he left Washington, as a result of numerous conferences with Boss Hanna and other party leaders, and, while apparently non-partisan, were intended to aid the republicans in the Congressional campaign, by harping on the necessity of the country’s presenting a united front and standing by the administration until the treaty of peace had been signed. It was a shrewd political dodge, as it is certain that the treaty of peace will not be made public until after the Congressional elections, even should it be concluded before then, which is not at all probable.

The style in which Mr. McKinley’s Commission started upon its junket of the army camps, beginning with that of Gen. Fitz. Lee, at .Jacksonville, Fla., indicates that the people will have to pay an enormous bill for this up to this time entirely useless luxury. A special train of five cars; two Pullmans, Gen. Dodge’s private car, a dining car, and a baggage car, was required to carry the Commission and its hangers-on. This train will arrive at Jacksonville today. If the program was fully made out when the commission left Washington, it was not made public, further than that the commission would remain several days at Jacksonville, and that Tampa, Fernandina, Huntsville, Chickamauga Park, Knoxville, and other places will probably be visited before it returns to Washington. The pay of the commissioners has not yet been settled, and report says will not be until after election. An itemized account of the expenses of that special train during the junket would be quite an interesting document, and, inasmuch as there is no appropriation either for the commission or its expenses, it would also be interesting to know from what money its expenses are to be paid. ♦ * •

Circumstances alter cases, in politics as well as in other things. A week ago the republicans were pointing to the odds offered on “Teddy” Roosevelt by betting men, as indicating what a cinch he had on the governorship of New York. Now. when odds are no longer to be had and thousands of dollars offered to bet even, remain uncovered, these same republicans are saying, “the betting really has nothing to do with the campaign.” This complete somersault is one of the most amusing features of the campaign. As a matter of fact, the change in the betting h’as been brought about by the change in the situation. When Roosevelt was nominated, the betting men thought he could be rushed through the campaign on the hurrah, and that voters of the j state would forget everything else ■ but that he was a brave soldier in the Santiago campaign; consequently they backed him for a winner. They have discovered the slump in the hurrah, and now they want to hedge. Lots of things have shown up against Roosevelt, not the least of which is the almost solid opposition of the Germans, one of the most prominent of whom —Oswald Ottendorfer, editor of the Staats Zeitung—calls Roosevelt “a big boy” and a “sensation monger.” ** ♦ ' , One of the witnesses, and, by the way, he was the only naval officer who has testified before Mr. McKinley’s alleged Investigation Commission, stated that if the Navy had not gone to the assistance of the army, the army sent to Santiago never would have been landed. The witness —Lieut. Frank K. Hill, who was detailed from the battleship lowa to take charge of the debarkation of Shafter’s army—continued, without waiting to be questioned: “Gen. Shafter himself said that. The army came with but one lighter, which was about the size or this room. There were thirty-six transports with men and provisions, and the plan of landing was for the Cubans to advance on Baiquiri, while the Navy shelled the beach to clear the way for the landing. The army did

not come prepared to land, and it was necessary to call upon the navy for transportation to the shore.” Instead of taking advantage of the lead thus given to ask something about why the army was not properly prepared to land, the commissioners tried to get funny by asking about building a dock for Gen. Shafter to be landed upon, and whether they had to use derricks, etc. If this commission stumbles upon anything that is not complimentary to Alger, it will be done unintentionally or told voluntarily by some witness, like Lieut. Hill, who was temporarily given a chance to talk without being compelled to confine himself to answering questions asked. The fight for better and more economical county government being waged by the Jasper County Democrat should appeal to the sense and judgement of every taxpayer in Jasper county. For years tax-ridden by one of the most extravagant political rings that ever preyed upon a long suffering people, the turning point has come. There are times when a long suffering people refuse to listen to appeals to “stand by the ticket” and vote for their own interests. We believe that this Is one of those years In Jasper county.—Delphi Times. Bring your buggy, wagon and harness wants to Judy and The Lief Buggy Company- and they will supply you. They have the material and ability to do it.