Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-10-17
WASHINGTON LETTER.


been widely o0vertlseu Dy ucmoCroUS
as the originator OF the 'svigorous for
eign policy" which Is to be put into
effect--accent on the ia TO be-has
made bad start by pleading the ba-
by act. He was asked this week what
II anything. the administration pro-
posed to do about the Cuban revolu-
tionists. The man who asked the
question occupies position which en-
titled him to reply, otherw Sc Mr..
Olney would have given him the usu-
al silent bluff with which he parties
the questions OF newspaper men and
other inqulsitive individuals. MOI
daring to do that he fell back on the
baby act, and said that the reports
were SO conflicting that he had up to
this time found 1t impossible to as
certain the true condition of affairs
In Cuba; that the Spanish minister
insisted that the revolt was mere
nothing and would soon be stamped
out, and that the rosy pictures of the
revolutionists successes which appear
from time to time In the newspapers
were manufactured in this country.
He intimated that 1t might be neces
sary to send a confidential agent to
Cuba to invcst'g gate before the admin
istration decided what position 1t
would take. 1t is significant that
State department officials cite two
presidents for the idea CT sending
a confidential agent to Cuba. In 1915
before acknowledging the independ
ence OF the revolving Spanish colo
MES in South America, President
Monroe sent three commissioners Ia a
u. S. man OF war to investigate the
situation, and In 184S, when Daniel
Webster was Secretary Of State, Pres.
ident Taylor secretly commissioned
a confidential agent to 90 te Hun.
gary and ascertain the chances the
Hungarians had for success In
their revolt against Austrian rule,
an act which caused strained relations
between this country and Austria, al.
though the revolt was put down be-
fore the agent got to Hungary, AMI
gave Mr. Webster an opportunity to
write one OF his strongest state pa
pers. There is reasonable ground for
the suspicion that Mr.. Cleveland has
already app inted con adential agent
and that the man Is now in Cuba.
Some very ludicrous suggestions
have been made as to who will be
given that vacancy in the Supreme
Court, but the most ludicrous OF all
Is that which came this week from
some southern democrats in favor OF
Representative Catchings. of Missis.
sippi, "Shoestring Tom" one of the
originators and principal beneflcaries
of crooked elections in the South; In
the eyes of most people he has not n
single qualification for seat upon
the bench of our highest court. But
he has one trait which in Mr.. Cleve
lands eyes may make up for all that
be lacks, he is a cuckoo of the most
pronounced breed.
Secretary Morton is the one mem
Der of the administration who is open
in his advocacy Of free trade. That
is why he has been so anxious that
Mexican cattle should be admitted
free, under the pretense of iajuring
the beef trust. He has been loud Ia
his claims that this was in the inter
ests of the farmers particularly. just
now the mail of the Department OF
Agriculture Is burdened with protests
from farmers who raise cattle against
the free admission of Mexican cattle.
Evidently the American farmers
think they know what is to their
interests better than the free trade
Secretary of Agriculture does.
Mr., Castle, the new Hawaiian min.
lister, who has been in Washington
for ten days, but who has not YET
been officially received as such by the
administration, denies in the most
positive terms the sensational state
ments contained in Hawaiian pub
licaton brought to the United States
on the last steamer, to the effect tina
the Hawaiian republic was on tn,
verge of dissolution. He says the ed
itor of the publication In question
has always been opposed to the repub
lie, and that what he prints is treate,
with ridicule by the intelligent PEG
pie on the island. Mr.. Castle decline.
to discuss the reports concerning ia
pans desire to obtain possession o
the islands, but from other sources |
Is learned that the members of tn
Hawaiian government are uneasy con
corning what they have learned o
Japan's intentions, and that their un
easiness is constantly being added t
by the unruly action OF the Japanes
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