The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-02-02
NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Il
/ The Samoan difficulty continues
to be the most important topic dis.
cussed by the daily press, Score
tary Bayard has been severely crit.
icised for the inaction of the State
Department. When Mr.. Sewall was
before the subcommittee of the
Foreign Relations Committee, he
expressed himself very strongly in
opposition to the conduct of the
State Department on the Samoan
question. He expressed regret that
the treaty should ever have been
negotiated, since the attitude of the
United States towards the natives
had not been maintained. After
detailing at some length the man
ner in which the Germans had en-
deavored by force to take posses
sion of the island, Mr.. Sewall de-
scribed the indignities to which
Americans had been subjected. The
Germans, he said, had closed the
Municipal Court, and the jurisdic-
ton in cases against the Germans
was with the German court only.
The Americans had received no no.
tice prior to the declaration of war.
No American, he said, could speak
to native now without placing
that native under suspicion. He
said that before his departure from
Samoa he had endeavored to keep
the natives quiet, but it was evident
when he left that an outbreak would
soon occur. He read a private let
ter from the leading American ira
der, whose lands have been seized
by the German trading firm at Apia,
who wrote that Brandeis was said
to be keeping a black-book; that
he spent his time devising new
modes of punishment, and that the
island would become great slaugh-
ter pen, if the Germans ever came
into full control. Mr.. Sewall sup
plemented this letter with a descrip-
ton of the pitiable condition of the
American citizens in Samoa, many
of whom had married natives and
were even now at the mercy of a
German adventurer. 1t is stated
by one who is in a position to
know, that the cabinet is far from
harmonious in this matter. Whit
ney and Dickinson would serve an
immediate warning upon Germany
that further interference in the in
ternal affairs of Samoa, would be
regarded as violation Of our rights
under our treaty with Samoa and
our agreements with Germany her.
self, and that it would be resented
by the United States. But from
other members of the cabinet these
two receive but little encourage
ment. Fairchild, Endicott and At
torneyGeneral Garland incline to
Bayard's policy of caution, and so,
too, does Villas, much to the sur
prise and disappointment of some
of his friends. The President is
said to be more in sympathy with
Whitney and Dickinson than with
the others.
The situation is becoming very
serious, and this matter assumes
graver Importance in view Of the
fact that Sherman's proposed
amendments for the defense of our
Samoan rights are to be immedi-
ately available under an emergency
instead of becoming effective, July
LIST, as usual.
A WASHINGTON SPECIAL
To New York paper of the 26th
ult. said that the first real and au-
thentic cabinet news had just leaked
out. 1t was to the effect that a
gentleman very near to Mr.. Blaine,
announced to a few friends that MIR.
Blaine had actually been offered
the Secretaryship of State, and has
signified to Mr.. Harrison that he
will accept. This is said to be au-
thentic. The gentleman told his
club friends: II am able to state
it as fact that the places are now
settled. Mr.. Blaine will be Secre-
tary of State, and Mr.. Wanamaker,
who is close friend of Mr.. Blaine,
will be Postmaster General and not
Secretary of the Navy. as the news
papers have it. The treasury will
go west, and Mr.. Harrison has urged
Mr.. Allison to accept it, but if he
declines, some other western man
will be found. Nothing else is set
tied, and it is my opinion that no
other person will be decided uron
until Mr.. Harrison and Mr.. Blaine
have fully interchanged ideas on
the cabinet question. Now that
Mr.. Blaine has accepted the State
Department, naturally Mr.. Harri-
son will consult him as to the other
members who are to serve with
him. Senator Allison left Wash
ington on the 26th ult. for Indian
apolis.
SECRETARY WHITNEY,
According to a report from Wash
ington, shows very small spirit
with reference to the inauguration