Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1898 — Washington Lettar. [ARTICLE]

Washington Lettar.

From Ou: Regular Correspondent. Washington, May 6, 1898. Mr. McKinley’s fighting blbod has been aroused by the great victory won by onr Asiatic squadron under Commodore Dewey. It would have been strange, indeed, if it has not been, for nothing more daring in the annals of naval warfare has been recorded than Dewey’s action in taking his ships into an enemy's harbor, supposed to be heavily mined, for the purpose of attacking a fleet nearly his equal in strength which was sup. ported by heavy land batteries, and succeeding in destroying the Spanish fleet, silencing the batteries and planting the American flag on the Philippine Islands. It was an achievement worthy of the American navy, and one that every American commodore is anxious to try to duplicate. They are ap-

parently going to be given opportunities, too. In fact, the orders have been issued that will give the rest of our navy an opportunity to share in avenging the Maine by doing some fighting. Porto Rico is to be taken. Our soldiers also are to be allowed to do some figlitng. The air of hesitation, which was so aggravating, has entirely disappeared, and everytning is now apparently bent on fighting. Admiral Dewey’s official report lias been received, and he cannot possibly be prouder of it than is every American who reads it. Millions of Americans yet unborn will thrill with pride and patriotism when they read of the victory won by the daring and gallant Dewey, who has been made an admiral and who has received a vote of thanks from Congress.

Congress has authorized the enlistment of IO.CXX) yellow fever; immunes, in the south, for service in Cuba, in addition to the 125,tXXJ volunteers. It is nlwavs more or less.dnngerous to interrupt Representative Cham Clark when he is making a speech, but Representative Lacey, jof lowa, had to get squelched be- | fore he would believe it. Mr. : Clark was making a vigorous talk I against the six democrats who I voted for the republican war reve- | nue bill, which authorizes an addition of $600,000,(XX) to the country interest bearing debt, and in--1 cidentally against the democratic party being held responsible for the-acts of the Cleveland admistrations which lie declared were : democratic only in name, when he | said there,, were only two worse .names in history than that of | Grover Cleveland —the names of Judas Iscariot and Benedict Ar- ! nold. Just then he was interruptjed by Mr. Lacey, who asked if | Judas Iscariot was not the original -silver man. Mr. Clark turned upon him and retorted: “The first ; silver speech ever made in the i American Congress was by Wm. ! B. Allison, whom you all worship. ! Now, some of the rest of you ask me questions.” The challenge [was not taken up. In the same | speech Mr. Clark ridiculed the j claim of some of the republicans ! that they were responsible for the j war with Spain, and addressing ! the republican side he said: “We ! took you by the scruff of the neck ■ and dragged you into it. It’s our i war.” Mr. Clark closed with a j glowing and patriotic reference to the brilliant achievement of Commodore Dewey, in Manila harbor. The administration is not allowing the war to cause it to forget the need the republicans have for | help in the Congressional camj paign. The patronage of the Govj eminent Printing Office is to be ! turned over to the republican candidates for Congress, by an order declaring that establishment never to have been legally’ 5 under the | civil service rules. It wyll be remembered that an opinion declaring that the placing of the G. P. O, under civil service rules was illegal was prepared by an official of the Department of Justice last year, but was never adopted by Attorney General McKenna as liis own and was never made public. Attorney General Griggs, doubtless under pressure from the Re-

publican Congressional Committee, has agreed to the promulgation of that opinion as his own, and democrats in the G. P. O. who are wise, are ou the look out for other jobs. Mr. McKinley deserves credit for standing out against the enormous pressure brough to bear upon him by politicians of his party in favor of incompetent, applicants for general’s commissions in the volunteer army. He has sent the nominations of eleven major generals and twenty-five brigadier generals to the Senate. Thirtytwo of thorn are officers in the regular army, and the other four, all major generals, are ex-officers, equally divided between the blue and the gray, Fitz Lee and Joe Wheeler representing the gray, and Senator Sewell, of N. J.. and Gen >ral James H. Wilson, of Delaware, representing the blue.