Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1899 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From our regular correspondent.) The abstract of the whitewash report of the War Investigating Committee, just given out, is not worth anybody’s serious attention. # * * Gen. Joseph Wheeler has offered a resolution providing for the extension es the thanks of Congress to Maj. Gen. E. S. Otis, for his victories over the Philipinos in the last week. * * * In view of the record sent to the Senate, by the Navy Department, Secretary Long should tell why Schley was not court-martialed instead of being promoted a few numbers under Sampson * # * The statemert of Representative Cannon that there would be a deficit of not less thnn SI69.(XX),(XX) at. the end of the next fiscal year, if Congress didn’t economize in the Appropriations, while startling was not surprising to those who have been noting the republican tendency to extravagance. * # # Representative Lentz, of Ohio, in a short speech denounced Mr. McKinley for commuting the sentence of Gen. Eagan to suspension for six years, under full pay. He said that Eagan had cnlled Miles a liar for simply telling the truth, truth to which 50.000 private soldiers could testify—that the troops had been fed with rotten beef. And that Mr. McKinley’s action really amounted to rewarding Eagan for attacking Miles. •• > # ’ * *

Secretary Alger did not recommend the order for a Military Court of Inquiry to assemble in Washington on Wednesday of this week, to investigate the emb dmed beef charges made by Gen. Miles issued by Mr. McKinley, but he had to smile and appear to like it, because Mr. McKinley had been convinced, by more level-headed advisers that it was the only thing left for him to do, if he hoped to escape being charged with guilty knowledge of embalmed beef sold to the government. Gen. Eagan is acting as Alger’s right bower in preparing testimony to be produced before the Court of Inquiry in behalf of the beef contractors, which cld-fashioned folk are in-

cliued to regard as a scahxlal of itself, under the circumstances. * _ * Senator Mason, who talked against the treaty, and then voted for it, may have been somewhat pricked by his conscience. At any I rate, he pricked some of his colleagues quite heavily, in a speech he made concerning their violation j of an implied if not an actual agreement, that the various resol- { utions as to the Philippine policy j of this government, should be * voted upon after the treaty was f disposed of. He then took the | bit in his teeth and said that he intended to keep the floor until j the Senate agreed to vote upon the j McEnery resolution, which de- j dares that this government intends to follow the same policy in j the Philippines as in Cuba. His threat brought the Senate to time, and it was unanimously agreed to vote on the McEnry resolution Tuesday, although Senator Hawley afterwards trieddo change that action.

Democratic Senators have not lessened -their opposition to the Hull army bill, even a little bit, on account of Mr. McKinley’s threats to call an extra session of the next Congress, if the bill is not passed by the Senate. They‘are perfectly willing that the present regular army of 62,(XX) men shall lie continued for one year from next July in order that we may have whatever troops that may be needed while we temporarily control the Philippines and Cuba, but they will go no further in helping Mr. McKinley push along his imperialistic programme. Senator Jones, of Arkansas, said very emphatically: “We do not intend to allow’ a large standing army to be permanently fastened upon this country,” and Senator Cockrell said: “If the President will make the failure of the Hull bill to pass the Senate, an excuse for an extra session, he might just as well prepare his proclamation now. We do not fear an extra session. It would compel the republicans to show their hand outline their policy, which is now concealed.” Nearly all of the democratic Senators talk the same way, which makes it reasonably certain that the army bill will not get through the Senate.

* * * Representative DeArmond, of Mo., made a strong anti-expansion speech, in which he said of the item appropriating $20,000,(XX) to pay Spain for the Philippines, which is in the Sundry Civil Appropriation bill: “If this $20,000,000 is to be appropriated now, why ought not this House to fix the bounds and limits? Do you propose to take in these Philippine islands as part and parcel of this government, part and parcel of the territory of the U. S., to endure and to continue as long as we can hold them as part and parcel of it? If you do, say so. If you do not, say not. If you do not know, then why the hot haste for such legislation? Why the extraordinary demand fora very large army ? Why the imperious spirit here and in the other end of the Capitol, which rejects all suggestion of amendment, while at the same tiipe it proclaims that you know not whether your policy is to be temporary or permanent, that you know not whether you are to acquire this territory as a permanent acquisition or for a short time, yet wants the army permanently, wants army of 1(X),(XX) men, wants the huge expenditures that are made directly and the huger expenditures that will follow in their