Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1901 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

From Our Regular Correspondent: Oh no! The McKinley Administration has no understanding with England, and does not act for the preservation of English interests. It just happened that the administration bosses forced a caucus of republican Senators to decide to take no action upon the Nicaragua Canal bill, while the Hay-Paunceforte treaty is under consideration by the British government. In other words, a majority of the U. S. Senate informs the world that it has turned the question of whether the Nicaragua Canal shall be provided for at this session over to the British Government. All and all this is one of the most remarkable instances of truckling to a foreign nation in the history of the Senate, and it is not surprising that four republican Senators should have revolted and openly said that they would not be bound by the action of the caucus —the surprising thing is that a majority of them should have been willing to make such an exhibition of themselves. If the British Government wishes to prevent Nicaragua Canal legislation at this session of Congress, it has only to defer making known its action on the treaty, until after the 4th of March. Naturally the Panama lobbyists are jubilant. This is playing right into their hands, As the admistration doesn’t wish to take any more chances, the conferees on the part of the House on the Army bill, have orders to agree to the bill as it passed the Senate. It is expected to go to Mr. McKinley in a day or two, and mouths arealready watering for the nice little commissions that be will distribute under the new law. The Ship subsidy bill has been [latched so as to placate republican opposition, and it is now claimed that it will get the vote of every republican Senator, if it gets voted upon. It is to be considered in the Senate whenever no regular appropriation bills are on hand, for a time, but Senator Aidrich reminded Senator Hanna that the time would be limited when he gave notice that the Finance committee would, during the present week, report the revenue reduction bill. The prediction has been made by a Senator that if the Ship subsidy bill was not passed before the revenue reduction bill, which will have the right of way, got before the Senate, it would not pass at all. While protesting all the time that he would not lie a can id ate, Senator Hanna is constantly laying wires to bring about his nomination for President by the republicans in 1904. His latest move in that direction was to make a bid for the soldiers vote, by announcing his intention to join the G. A. R. If the democratic leaders eau help Hanna get that nomination, they will certainly do so, because of the belief that his nomination by the republicans would assure the election of any democrat. That “Pull” under this administration is stronger than the Civil Service Law is nothing new, but a disgiaceful proof of it has just been given by the appointment of Wm. Hamlett, of Maryland who was forced to resign as a general inspector of the Poet Office De-

partment, for havings hired out his government railroad pass, to be an inspector in the Baltimore Customs House. In other words, a man who has shown his unfit ness for a position under one department of the public service, has been given an equally responsible position in another. The secret of Hamlett’s “Pull” is his ability or his supposed ability to control the negroes of Maryland. Senator Teller said of the Filipino petition, presented by him which he wishes to have printed as a public document, and which is now in the hands of the Senate committee on the Philippines: “My Filipino petition represents what might be called the great middle class of the Philippine island. It is no protest from National Filipino government. There is not in the list of 2.000 and more names, that of one office holder under the Filipino government. No one can charge that the document emanates from Aguinaldo or his followers. It is a sincere and unbiased protest from the business men and respectable citizens of the island against the treatment they are receving from the U. S. and it is in the nature of a petition for redress. I consider that in its way. it is one of the most conclusive documents that has yet been put in the hands of the American people. It is the last word from the main body of educated business-like Filipinos. The original document was, of course, in Spanish. It was delivered to me by Inestizo, himself a most brilliant specimen of the well-educated half-Spanisn and half-Filipino business man. The document has been carefully translated, and every American should have an opportunity to read it. A sensational scandal in the dead letter office of the Post Office Department, has resulted in the dismissal of the Chief in the property of divisons and three clerks under him, and will probably result in the entire re-organization of the dead letter office. The clerks dismissed were guilty of conspiring to get valuable property for nominal prices, by means *of bidding in certain packages, improperly described in the catalog of the annual dead letter sale. One of them made a confession when cornerd with a lot of the improperly described packages in his possession, and uncovered the conspiracy.