Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-07-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondence of the Standard.


WASHINGTON, d. c., July IL, 1890.
Senators Sherman and Chandler
have buried their long standing dis
like OF each other and are working
shoulder to shoulder in the interest OF
the outrageous Federal election bill.
Apparently Mr., Sherman has forgot
ten that Mr.. Chandler, some years ago
publicly accused him of having be-
come rich by trading upon the secrets
which he obtained knowledge of by
virtue of his official position.
The Republicans here who favor the
Federal Election bill are moving
heaven and earth to work up a public
sentiment in favor of that measure.
Every mail which leaves Washington
is heavily burdened with piteous ap-
peals to Republican editors to come
out squarely in favor OF the bill, and a
caucus of Republican Senators was
held last night for the purpose of
compelling those opposed to fall into
line.
The Department of Justice has final
ly obtained the exact facts, in refer
ence to that English company which
attempted to seize the peninsula of
Lower California from the Mexican
government, and establish one for
themselves. Attorney General Miller
sent Col. E. C. Foster out there to dis
cover the truth. He has just re-
turned with it," The English COM
pany entitled "iThc Mexican Land
and Colonization Co." had actually
made every preparation to carry out
such a plot, and nothing but its pre-
mature exposure prevented its con-
summation. Col. Foster says that he
does not believe there will be any fur
ther attempt to seize Lower California.
The English Co., which had inspired
the scheme is worried by the Mexican
government. The evidence against
the company is absolute and cannot
be controverted. One of the most sig
nificant incidents, in this connection
was the presence on the ground of
Major Scott, general manager OF the
company. He is an officer the "Roy-
al Engineers" The selection of a
military man for this position, rs he
was only recently appointed to it,
seemed to bear significant aspect to
the authorities here. He was an Of
ficer OF the British army, and as soon
as the plot was exposed, he returned
to England and resumed his military
duties. He had never resigned his
commission. He was merely over
here on leave of absence. The COM
pany has placed itself in an awkward
predicament by its reasonable prac-
tice, and is liable to have its property
cOnfiscated by the Mexican govern
ment. Senior Romero, the Mexican
minister here, has engaged the best
counsel. both Mexican and American,
to investigate the case. They have
visited the Department Of Justice, and
examined all the evidence obtained by
Col. Foster and the department is
awaiting Mexico's action, and expects
it to take the initiative.
The consideration of the two ship
ping bills was resumed in the Senate.
Mr.. Reagan said that subsidies would
build up the mercantile marine, and
he heartily agreed but the tariff
would prevent commerce; that the
United States had a revenue system
that approached prohibition to inn
ports and it was merely a waste of
money to grant subsidies to companies
OF commerce. Mr.. Frye, of course,
supported the bill. Ii
Representative Cogswell has intro
duced bill appropriating 81 600 900
to establish industrial training schools
for negroes and to provide land for
them to be held under leases, with the
privileges of making subsequent pur-
chase. The bill authorizes the Presi-
dent to appoint commission OF five
men who shall purchase ten square
miles of good arabic land in any of the
Southern States to be divided into 16O
acre lots for settlement by the negroes.
They shall be required to pay the gov
erment five bales of cotton per annum.
There is a great joke going the
rounds here at present, that has not
yet got out OF town. Senators get it
off on each other over their lunches
and politicians over their milk. 1t is
in connection with the recent develop
ments of facts in respect to the arda-
city of the English company in at
tempting to steal the peninsula of Low
er California. The plan is to get an au-
ditor interested in the subject and then
tell him that the English company
had also sent over to England 10000
hairless dogs from Peru. This matter
must be dwelt upon until the victims
curiosity tempts him to inquire as to
what difference the matter could make
with Peru. The answer is, that they
would have no more Peruvian Bark.
Dem.