Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1904 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

Political and Oeneral Gossip of the National Capitol. Spoclal Correspondent to The Democrat: Joloth houses of Congress have fixed their eyes on April 30th as the approximate day of adjournment. Yet business, especially in the Senate, moves with laggard step. Senator Morgan, (Ala.) has now spent nearly three days in possession of the fioor denouncing the bill for the government of the canal zone as an unspeakable outrage. He declares that the ten-mile-wide zone can never be peacefully governed in the way provided and that, having taken possession of it by force, the only consistent method of governing it is by martial law. It is not an American colony, he says, and there is no purpose to make it such; it is a military reservation, like Guantanatna, or like any of our naval stations or forts. It is held only for the purpose of building a canal, and the establishment of courts, juries and civil judges is a gross pretense for the purpose of hoodwinking the American people. Having committed highway robbery in stealing the Isthmus, the administration ought not to be afraid of the ghost of a tyranny which it has conjured up. Senator Morgan warned the people of the United States that the Panama Isthmus is not yet ours, that the transfer is accompanied by significant postponements, and that the French Court has given to the Republic of Colombia two months more in which to appeal its case, — an opportunity phich Colombia is pretty certain fully to avail herself of. After several days debate the House has passed the Philippine bill. It is ostensibly in the inter-' est of the Filipinos but really sacrifices their interests to that of speculators and adventurers wherever there are spoils. It provides for a system of railroads in the archipelago and benevolently donates them to the Filipinos providing they will furnish the money to build them and guarantee five per cent dividend on the investment. Two months ago in an interview published in these letters Secretary Taft plumed himself on being pre-eminently the friend and champion of the Filipinos. But he has listened to the siren song of American Enterprise whereof administration Congressmen chant the chorus and he has concluded to let his Luzon constituents look out for themselves. The Filipinos must pay for their railroads, telegraphs, light-houses, wharves and custom houses as they pay out of their own pockets for their schools, with double salaries for all teachers and officials, and we claim the credit of enlightening and civilizing them at our own expense! What a blessed old humbug is the present edition of Uncle Sam! When the bill passed there were half a dozen Republicans who said “Aye” and and a great chorus of Democratic “Noes” causing the glass ceiling to ring. Speaker Cannon immediately exclaimed “The Ayes have it —but the Noes make the most noise.” t t t Congress seems very much inclined to do the handsome thing by Washington in the matter of public buildings. The absurdity of setting these marble palaces in the quagmire on the south side of Pennsylvania Avenue has at last been made so obvious that the stupedist can see it, and it is probable that they will henceforth be given position on Capitol Hill, Judiciary Square, or the high ground between that and the Treasury Department. The Sundry Civil appropriation carrying sixty million dollars arrived in the Senate Thursday. The Senate Committee modified if after it passed the House, by a provision for the erection of a great office building for senators on the square of land northeast diagonally across B street from the Senate. This will correspond with the house office building on B street south, for which money has been already appropriated and the work on which is now in progress. t t t The friends of General Miles in and ont of the war department are somewhat solicitous for his official safety. Contrary to their expectation he made a speech at the Iroquois banquet at Chicago last week in celebration of Jefferson’s birthday. On account of the Generaf’a command of silence it was expected to be rather colorless and commonplace, but it was a demand for the freedom of the Filipinos and a ringing protest against the current imperalism of which the president is the head. It is hinted that he has been lying in wait to catch the LientenantGeneral in some utterance so patriotic and hnmane that it coold

be called an indiscretion, famishing an excuse for arraigning him before a court-martial. The excuse would seem to have arrived, for the speech was one of a soldier, orator and patriot according to his light. t t t It is rumored that the Republicans in Congress may concede to the Democrats some sort of investigation of post office scandals. If so, it will be of a kmd of investigation that does not reveal —a sham inquiry conducted by the Republicans themselves, and signifying nothing. To have the racket of a presidential campaign on simultaneously with the racket of a genuine investigation into corruption in the Republican administration would be a little too much for Mr. Roosevelt to bear. t t t The horrible disaster on the battleship Missouri the same day as the tragedy to the Russian battleship has caused nothing short of consternation here, especially in the Navy Deparment. It suggests the necessity of overhauling not only the manegement of battleships but the very plan on which they are built. If these great war machines prove to be about the most frangible and perishable of property, what is their aggressive value in action likely to be? I know Capt. Cowles well. He is a kind-heart-ed and conservative man, ordinarily careful and proud of his position. He is very large, weighing perhaps three hundred pounds; is a temperate drinker,and a favorite with his companions. Much sympathy is expressed for him. t t t The mock battle of .Bull Run will be fought in September, beginning the sth. Some 38,000 soldiers will participate, their rendezvous being this city. Let us hope the powder magazine will not get afire.