Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 December 1898 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From ear regular correspondent.) The reception given Col. Bryan by Democratic Senators and Representatives shows very plainly that he is still recognized by them as the party leader. One probable iwult erf Col. Bryan’s visit (o Washington will be that with one or two possible exceptions, democratic Senators will offer no opposition to the prompt ratification of the Treaty of Peace by the Senate, they having, after talking the matter over, agreed with Col. Bryan that the question of expansion was not involved in the treaty and will not necessarily be affected by that document. Col. Bryan is very emphatic in expressing his belief that we should accord the same treatj ment to the Philipines that will be I given to Cuba. Representative | Swanson, of Va., goes further than j CbL Bryan in opposing expansion. | He said, while discussing Mr. Mcf Kinley s Atlanta speech, in which I he asked “Who would haul down , the flag?’’ in the Philippines: ”1 am one of the men in Dixie who ; would haul down the flag over .the Philippines. I would rather ! establish a republic in the Orient i than destroy one in the Occident. | The Phillipine islands should be | turned loose and their people should be allowed to establish and maintain their own government.” Bat there are other democrats who favor expansion. For instance, Representative King, of Utah, who hopes soon to be a Senator, said: ‘The’ democratic party will never goonm or 1 as a party in opposition to ex pa ision. We will oppose imperialism, bnt not expansion, and we will advocate giving all ! persons under the sovereignty of the U. S. the greatest degree of self-government of which they are capable.'* and Senator Sullivan said: “Col. Bryan tried to convince me that I was wrong, but I firmly believe that the U. S. should not relinquish anything it has fairly earned by the war.” Among other democrats who openly express their belief in keeping what we won by the war, are Senators Morgan and Money, fiepresenta- ! tives Berry, of’Ky., and Livingston lof Ga. There are many democrats who decline taking ground either for or against expansion until it : can be officially learned what in- ! terpretation the administration inI tends to put upon the term. * * *

Hie democrats of the House, arho solidly opposed the measure, | are gratified at their success in de- | feating the bill for the incorpora- ! tion of an international American ! Bank. This victory was won with the assistance of the votes of some* western republicans and the ab- [ sence when a vote was taken of | others. The vote was 148 to 103. , Representative Dingley, the rej publican floor leader, conld not ; conceal his chagrin at the defeat jof the hill. The Senate bill, incor- | porating this bank is in the hands j of the House Committee on Bank- ; ing and Currency, and when it is | repented to the House, the fight may have to be made over again, a * p Representative Rixey, of Va., folly endorses the opinion of McKinley, that the government ought ; to help take care of the Confederate dead, and goes further, by advocating its helping to take care of needy living Confederate soli diers. He has introduced a bill providing that all maimed, crippled and needy soldiers and sailors, who served in the Civil War, shall be admitted upon the same terms to all Soldiers’ Homes and other institutions wholly maintained by Rie U. S. Government. •a* The Senate Committee on Privileges hud Elections has referred the charge of bribery made against Benator Hanna, by the Ohio Senate* to a sub-committee, composed of Senators Hoar, Spooner and Turley, for investigation and report. There will be a white-wash report from the majority of this sab-committee, and that will end the aiatter, so for as this committee *a* The war investigation commission will take a Christmas holiday, although for anything it is accomplishing, it might just .as well take a permanent holiday. The next prv mirient witness it will hear will be Gen. Shatter. The Commissacn .is hen having a little troubh of its* own. Half of its force of stenographers went on a strike, because they said they were tired of doing all the work, and that the other half were incompetent. * * • A joint resolution for the usual two weeks Christmas recess of of Congress has been reported tretm the House Ways and Means Committee. ; ntl it will be promptly : i Congress v. ry seldom tu for a holiday.

There is a regular cat and dog figbt going on among the republicans over whether an extra session of the next Congress shall be held in the spring, and it is growing more bitter all the time. Mr. McKinley and the republican leaders in both Senate and House, agreed at the beginning of the session that an extra session should be avoided, if possible; but the men'who want financial legislation as soon as the republicans control both branches of Congress, are working on Senators and Representatives, in order to make an extra session necessary, if they cannot compel Mr. McKinley, by all sorts of pressure, to change his mind and agree to call one. Democrats are not taking any part in this wrangle, although most of them believe that republican financial legislation, at an extra session, would benefit the democratic party.