Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 April 1899 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From our regular correspondent.) Major Lee, who has been the personal representative of Gen. Miles before the Oonrt of Inquiry, made a speech summing up the evidence taken during the inauiry that any lawyer might have beat proud of. He showed that every allegation made by Gen. Miles has been folly sustained by good evidence, but if the Jdgerites are oorrect in their outline of the report, which the Court will make in a few days, probably this week, the evidence is to be ignored, Alger and Eagan whitewashed, and Gen. Miles and the officers who dared to tell the truth about the beef furnished the army, censured. If that sort of a report is submitted, a wave of indignation is likely to sweep over this country that when compared with that whioh followed toe whitewashing of Alger by the War Commission, will be as a tornado to a summer zephyr. The people of this country have decided this case on the evidence, and if McKinley is unwise enough to allow his friendship for Algerism and his dislike for Gen, Miles to cause him to use his official influence to get a report contrary to the evidence, so much the worse for Mr. Me-, Kinley. The country has been disposed, through au the dirty mess, to believe in the personal integrity of Mr. McKinley, and that he was the victim of bis political obligations to Alger, but public opinion cannot be made to stand too great a strain. * * i The republican managers are trying to get Mr. Hobart to announce that, owing to bis health, he will not be a candidate for renomination, but he has so far declined to do so, although his health is really in a serious condition. Boss Platt and some other New York republicans think that “Teddy” Roosevelt would be effectually shelved if made the tail of the McKinley ticket, and Mr. McKinley, who is a little bit afraid of Teddy as a lival for the first place, is said not to be averse to the idea, provided that Hobart, whom he really likes, can be persuaded to voluntarily take himself out of the way. • * * Politicians have no difficulty in reading the pUto made by Gov. Stone, of Pa., when he appointed Quay Senator, immediately following his acquittal by a Philadelphia jury of the charge of conspiracy to rob the state. That appointment was not made with any expectation that the accompanying credentials Would ever be used in Washington. Gov. Stone and Mr. Quay both know that the Senate him repeatedly, within the lass few years, denied the right of a governor to fill a vacancy in the Senate which .the legislature of the state has failed to fill, after having had an opportunity to do so. The appointment was made for its moral effect upon the republicans of the Pennsylvania legislature, which is likely to be called in extra session, nominal!} for other reasons, but in reality solely for the purpose of giving Quay another chance for getting him self re-elected. **• Admiral Schley is understood to contemplate asking an investigationof the implied charges and lnnendoes made against him by tbe Sampson clique in the Navy Department. If he does, he will not ask it of the Navy Department, bnt will go direct to Congress and ask that a thorough in-

vestigation be made by a nonpartisan committee. >-4 a .** NTs The Hanna McKinley men' are' already beginning to see that the retirement of Czar Reed doesn't call for as much rejoicing on their part, as they thought it ‘did when it was first made public. It will remove a powerful enemy from the pathway of the administration, but there is danger that the scramble for the Speakership, which has already started, may create a number of smaller enemies who may be able to do more damage to administration plans and politics than one big enemy like Mr. Reed. Boss Hanna is not in any doubt about his success in naming the next speaker, but he is growing very much afraid of the sore spots that will be left among the disappointed, when his choice becomes known. A prominent republican Senator, discussing this matter with a friend, said: “I shall miss my guess if Hanna ami McKinley do not both Utterly regret the retirement of Reed before the new Speaker haa got fairly used^othe

tils castor In the ring and declared himself a candidate. Thera will be lots of fan, and possibly some good political capital for the democrats in the coming fight over the Owing to a call of the German Ambassador at the State department, Oapt Ooghlan, of the Raleigh, him received a strong official hint not to repeat the story he told at a New York banquet about the way in which Admiral Dewey humbled the German Naval Commander in Manila Bay. hurt year, when the Germans tried to get a little uppish. It is denied that the German Amhatna dor made any complaint about Oapt. Coghlanb story, but of course, everybody knows that it ia a part of diplomacy to deny anything and everything whenever it is deemed policy to do so.