Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1895-12-26
Washington Letter

FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT,
WASHINGTON, D. c.. December 23rd, 1895.
Washington has not passed such an
exciting week for long time as the one
lust closed. Following President Cleve
lands Monroe doctrine message was a
regular deluge of Star Spangled Ban
ner war talk, (which hasn't entirely sub
sided yet but is much quieter. Just as
Congress disposed of the first message,
for time. by authorizing the appoint.
ment of commission to ascertain the
boundary line between Venezuela and
British Guiana no small task when it Is
remembered that neither Venezuela nor
England have succeeded in doing it dur
ing the more than half century the dis
pute has been pending. President Cleve'
land produced a greater panic in Con-
gress than the alleged unloading of
American securities by the British did
in Wall street by sending in second
special message, declaring the financial
condition of the country one of peril and
virtually demanding that Congress
should not take Christmas recess un-
till it had done something to relieve the
situation.
Mr.. Cleveland did not get as much
abuse for the financial message as he
got praise for the Monroe doctrine mes.
sage, but more of the abuse came from
his own party friends. They accused
him of trying to take advantage OF the
war scare to force his financial policy
down their Threats. If it had rested
with the Senate alone Mr.. Cleveland's
financial message would have been ;g-
nored and the usual recess taken, but
the House is afraid Of the politics in so
doing, and will go through the motion
of being in session, although it will be
difficult to keep quorum after tomor-
row. 1t is generally understood that
the Ways and Means Committee are to
report and the House to pass bill a.
mending the tariff by raising the duty
upon a number of articles. The impress
sion here is that the message was mere.
ly notice that the administration in
tends to issue more bonds, as it is Ger.
tain that it expects no immediate relief
from Congress.
1t has been known by the officials of
the State Department for some months
that movement was on foot among the
South American Republics for con.
certed and emphatic expression in favor
of the Monroe doctrine, entirely indie.
pendent of the United States, although
it has not yet proceeded far enough to
decide what form the expression shall
take. The idea is to show the world;
that the South American Republics are
opposed to European encroachment up
on this hemisphere.
At conference of Agriculturists held
several days ago, Mr.. David Lubin, of
California, presented his scheme for the
enactment of law for the payment of
an export bounty upon all agricultural
products sent out Of the country, and
the conference approved it.
This is what Gen. Miles the Comman.
der of the U. 8. Army says: If war sho'd
break out at the present time all we WOO
have with few exceptions, would be
lot Of obsolete guns on rotten carriages,
which would fall over before they cod
be made of service. The country is in
deplorable condition for its defence.
There only three modern high powered
guns in position in this country. Two
of these are at the entrance of New York
harbor and the third is at San Francis
CO.