Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1898 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Although Gen. Butler and Admiral Sampson, two of our military Commissioners at Havana, have made strong representations of the danger of trouble in that city from riots by the unpaid mod discontented Spanish soldiers, and asked that (me or more warships be sent there, the Cabinet has decided that no warship can be sent there, because to do so would be a violation ifie protocol. ... , ■ Secretary Gage has been giving away administration secrets, by publicly admitting that while he hoped for the election of a republican majority of the next House, he would not go so far as to say that he looked for republican success. The only difference between Secretary Gage and the other members of the administration is that he has publicly said what they all think ana say privately. r * * • The country may expect the publication of a preliminary report from McKinley’s alleged investigation commission, during the present week, as Boss Hanna and the, other republican managers hayeordered that one be made and given to the public before the Congressional emotion. There is little probability that a whitewash report, such as will, he made, will influence the casting of a single vote. The people of the country are on to that Commission and its work. It is evident that somebody in authority thinks that Lieut. Hobson is getting too much glory out of his efforts to save those wrecked Spanish vessels. . Hobson is now in Washington, being catechised by a Board of Naval officers who are inclined to stop his work, on the ground that it will coat too much money. If Hobson is not allowed to proceed with hia plans for saving those vessels, the people will know very well that money had nothing to do with it it, bat that jealousy of Hobson and his reputation is at the bottom of the whole business. •a* Mr. McKinley’s Commission ought to give Capt Wm. Astor Chanler, who served in the Cohan campaign and won praise from Gen. Shafter in an official report, and who is now democratic candidate for Congress against Lemuel Eli Quigg, in one of the New York city districts, a chance to testify, if they really wish to get at some warm facta. Capt Chandler says that Abner McKinley made money ont of contracts for furnish- * ing .supplies to our troops in Cuba, . and moreover, that the staff furnished by the Abner McKifaley CQnoem- was ©f .infyjrior quality, and not np to the specifications in in - any particular. This matter Will be heard' from again as soon Ife'Ctagroes piqgts. v , , Instead of beings help to Quay, Mr. McKinley’emit to Philadelphia was a positive injury to Quay and Quayism. Mr. McKinley did not speak the good word for Quay i that it was hoped by the terrorstricken Qnayites that he would, speak. In fact,he spoke note single word that oould be construed into sympathy for Quay or a wish for his success, although some of Quay’s friends took especial pains to make openings for Mr. McKinley to say something of that sort The remit is that the Quayitee are saying that it would have been better for McKinley to have remained out of the state, because hia silence has been construed by the Anti-Quay republicans to mean lack of administration sympathy for Quay, and they are making due threats about what they will do in connection with the National Convention of 1900. e * • A leak in the Paris end of the administration has made it apparent why the republicans were so anxious that the treaty of peace should not be concluded before the Congressional election. We are to get the Philipine islands. But we are to buy them —a new wrinkle, . after captaring territory by force of arms, to pay money for it—either by paying a large sum in cash or j by assuming about $40,000,000 of I Spanish bonds, or by lx>th. It is not surprising that the republican managers should dread such infor- | mation as that going to the connMsry on the eve of an important [election, nor that they should now Ibe trying to discount it by saying [that nothing had yet been posi- [ tively determined upon, except | that we would demand all of the I Philipine islands. That demand I was today officially made by our ■Peace Commissioners, of the Spanish Peace Commissioners, but it ■was known in Paris several days scio k ;r n tb o .t &

ment had agreed to a proposition to bay the Philipines. A suspicious thing about this agreement is that a special issue of Spanish bonds, of $40,000,000, alleged to have, been issued for public improvements in the Philipines, which were floating around m the financial markets of Europe, from the time they were issued, all suddenly disappeared about the time the Peace Commission met, and today not one of these bonds can be bought. Where did they go? They were bought up by somebody, according to the testimony of European bond brokers. Did: that somebody have advance inside information that this particular issue of bonds was worth more than other Spanish bonds, because of this agreement of the U. S. government to buy tiie Philipines? If so, who gave that information, and who is going; to profit thereby? These are questions that will not down, and which may, if Mr. McKinley allows this agreement to be carried out, bring about a scandal that will make Algorism seem like a very small matter. The Jaspxr Cocntt Democrat is waging a bitter fight against the courthouse boodlers, which should have the endorsement of every honest tax payer in the county.— Francesville Tribune.