The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-01-24
Washington Letter.
WAsHINaIuN, jan. IS. ls

WAsHINGitE, Jan. IS, 1889.
Mr. Cleveland has sent to Congress
3 communication from the Secretary
of Sst,e IN regar,; /, the troubles III
Samoa. He also sends a message of
his own " Mhich tifeoiua!ly disposes oi
the charges made in many republican
papers that the administration was
negleetiDg American interests in
Samoa. After reviewing the whole
trouble, the President says: "Acting
under the restraints which our consti.
tuition and laws have placed upon the
Executive power, I have insisted that
the autonomy and independence of
Samoa should be. scrupulously pre-
served according to the treaty made
with Samoa. 1 have protested against
every act apparently tending in the
opposite direction. and during the ex
istence of internal disturbances one or
more vessels OF war have been kept in
Samoan waters TO protect: American
citizens and property. These things
will abundauGiy appear from the cor
respondence and papsrs which have
been submitted to Congress This is
the whole thing in a nut shell. Could
any American citizen ask more of an
administration? All the papers in the
Haytian case have also been sub
mitted to Congress, and they are
equally creditaSle to the patriotism
and good sense of the administration
The U. S. Navy will soon be in a
condition to compete with that of any
nation, unless the republican admins
tration and Congress again adopt the
policy by which in "a years they sue
ceeded in destroying it. while spend
ing millions of dollars with favored
contractors. The House committee on
naval affairs has just completed the
naval appropriation bill. which will
amount TO $4,000. 900. The bill au.
thOriZes the construction OF dynamite
cruiser on the pattern of the Vesuvius,
wnich on its recent trial trip attained
the greatest speed of any vessel aiioat,
aud $500 ton cruising monitor on
the plans prepared by Representative
Thomas, of Illinois,
Another foreign diplomat seems de
sirous of following in the footsteps of
Lord Sackville. He has been inter.
viewed in newspaper and has impu-
IDENTIFY criticized the action of the Sen.
ate in passing the Edmunds resolu.
tions on the Monroe doctrine. He is
wiser than Lord Sackvillt, in that he
does not allow his name to appear
But 1t is certain to get out sooner or
later. and if the published interview il
authentic, we shall probably have to
send another foreign meddIer home to
learn better manpeIs
The contest over ,he Speak ersbip of
the next House is rapidly developing
into q regular Ki,kenny cat fight
among the Republicans. I've factions
one led by Messrs. Cannon and Reed,
and the other by Messrs, Burroughs
and Mckinley, had quite spirited
spat on the floor of the House this
week Mr.. Reed got into a passion
wnen he saw how he was losing the
1e eldership which he has held undis
plted for four years. This fight was
the result of some fine work on the
part of Mr. Blaine. He has espoused
the cause of Mckinley, and is deter
mined if possible, to have him elected
Speaker. In this connection it is in.
teresting to note'that SO confident is
Blaine of being the next Secretary of
State, that he has been making prom.
ises to members of the next House, of
patronage under the State department.
in order to make votes for Mckinley.
The busy bodies who have been try.
ing to make it appear that the: Presi
dent deliberately snubbed Senator In.
gals because he did not invite bim to
the first State dinner at the White
House, have had all lsthe wind taken
out of their sails by the announcement
that Mr.. ingalls, has been invited and
has accepted the invitation to the next
State dinner, which takes place on the
3lst inst. However, the fact should
be borne in mind that Mr.. Cleveland
has had ample cause for snubbipg Mr..
ingalls, personally, on account of the
manner in which he blackguards Mr..
Cleveland ON the floor of the Senate,
but the latter could not afford to slight
the president of the Senate, hence the
1t is the presiding officer
of the Senate that is invited to the
State dinner.
Petitions, said to represent over
fourteen million persons, were present
ed to the Senate Wednesday in favor
of the .' Sunday Rest" bill. The pc.
fitions were gotten up by the w. g.
It. q.
Some idea of the reason and sense In
the Senate tariff bill may be gathered
from the fact that the republicans by
q solid vote refused to agree to an
putting salt on the free
list in place of Altar of Roses. Salt is
used by everybody, and should be
made as cheap as possible, while Altar !
of Roses is only used by few wealthy ,
people.
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