Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1899 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From our regular correspondent.) It is daily becoming plainer to close observers that Mr. McKinley and his advisers do not regard next year’s campaign as a republican walk-over. They are diligently studying ways and means for corailing electoral votes that they consider doubtful. The trip that Mr. McKinley is now arranging to make this summer to the Pacific Coast is one of the ways that has been decided upon. They do not expect to be able to carry Dele ware Maryland, or Kentucky again, but they hope for Kansas and Nebraska, both of which states are likely to be visited on Mr. McKinley’s western trip. They are also begining to realize that some sort of a bluff against trusts should be made. Representative Landis, of Ind., has come to Washington especially to urge upon the administration the necessity of doing something to convince the voters of the middle west that the administration is antagonistic to the trusts. Mr. Landis has done some very plain talking about the danger to the republican party and it is evident that he has frightened some of the administration men. * » * Attorney General Griggs, doubtless acting under orders from Mr. McKinley, has made a play to shift the responsibility for his recent queer letter about trusts from the Chesapeake and Ohio Association, generally known as the soft coal trust, under the Sherman anti-trust law. The suit was instituted in Cincinnati, and will be directed by the Solicitor General of the U. S. The public will watch the prosecution of this case closely, owing to the Attorney General having so recently stated, in writing, that trusts could not be reached by Federal laws. * * * Evidently Admiral Dewy isnt one of those who believes the end of the Phillipine troubles to be in sight. Of course he is too diplomatic to discuss such a question where his opinion would be likely to get out, but when he cabled the Navy Department to send him six months engineering supplies for his fleet, every employee of that department knew that it was just as though he had cabled that it would not, in his opinion be safe to materially reduce the strength of the fleet at Manilla for some time to come. * * * The latest Phillipine news seems to justify the opinion of those who believe that the fighting over there is likely to go on for an indefinite time. Gen. Lawton has started on a campaign with a picked force with the intention of trying to run down the Philipinos. * * * Democrats are not the only ones who regard the Philippines as an undesirable possession. Representative Steele, of Indiana, a staunch supporter of the administration, who passed through Washington a day or two ago, said of them: “So far as I am concerned, I would like to trade the Philippine islands for a yellow dog, and then kill the dog, if there were nothing else involved but possession of the islands.” In naming one of the new battleships Georgia, although there had been no petition sent from that state while they had been sent from a dozen other states, Mr. McKinley is said to have been actuated solely by a desire to show his appreciation of the courtesy with which he was treated during his recent visit to that state. This is creditable alike to the President and to the people of Georgia. The other names chosen were, for battleships—Pennsylvania and New Jersey; for armoured cruisers—West Virginia, Nebraska and California;, for ordinary cruisers—Denver, Des Moines Chattanooga, Galveston, Tacoma and Cleveland. .* * * After taking several days to consider the matter, the Military Court of Inquiry wisely decided to admit as evidence the reports submitted to Gen. Miles on the beef issued by 147 officers' 1 who were in Cuba or Porto Rico. Just to give an idea of the nature of these reports, the following phrases, each from a different; officer’s report, are quoted: "“A distinct failure.” “It was nauseating.” “Was soft, watery, insipid and unsatisfactory to the men.” “Was stringy, tough and unpalatable.” “Tasteless, and the men would not eat it.” “Caused a great deal of sickness, and as a ration was a failure.” “Was unfit for use and many of the men said it had been doped.” “Was not fit to be issued.” “Was utterly unfit as an article of diet.” “Hungry men. left it on the ground.” “The sight of it was enough to turn the stomach.” "Was not fit for

consumption.” “Was openly condemned by the men and generally thrown away.” “Was just as bad as possible, short of being rotten.” “It produced disordered stomachs.” There was a whole lot more of the same sort, but this will do for a sample. * • * Mr. McKinley has accepted an invitation to attend the Confederate encampment to be held June 7th and Bth at Falls Church, Va., under the auspices of the Daugh tere of the Confederacy, and promised to deliver an address.