Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-05-25
worth of their product, but England
will certainly be guilty of no such folly.
FROM WASHINGTON.
Correspondence of the Alexandria daze1'e'l
mr1,rcroN Nav 25,

,rmation contained IN WI. OeHUJ
disnatch that Formosa had adop:ed
renublican form of government. Inc
n.arlinc of the dispatch was govern
ment republican" and while this may
admit of another Interpretation than
that placed on it by the department, 1t
is not clear what that other interpreta-
Zoo may be. 1t is believed at the de-
partment that nothing short OF a State
OF anarchy can exist in Formosa at
present. All the Chinese officials with
drew from the island before the ex-
change of the Publications of the treaty
Of peace between Japan and China on
May Sth, by which Formosa was coded
to Japan. No Japanese officials have
vet reached the island to assume con-
troll of affairs and there has been alb
solutely no authority in existence
there. 1t is explained at the State De-
partment that the character of the in
habitants of Formosa is sufficient TO
show that no republic has been estab-
lisned. Their ignorance is such that
thew know absolutely nothing about
the republican form OF government,
and their sole ideas of anything ap-
proachiug liberal power centres in
oligarchy. The agricultural class is
composed of poor and ignorant Chinese
peasants, while the native inhabitants,
who live principally in the interior, are
sayages. The present population Is es-
timated at about three millions and in
cludes about 10000 Of the "Black
Flags" an organization OF Chinese
brigands, who may be termed soldiers
of fortune. They were sent to For
mosa by the Chinese governmental de-
fend it against the japanese. The ia
panese Legation have not the slightest
information confirming the reported
declaration of independence in the isl
and of Formosa, and the establishment
of a republic there, and utterly dis
credited the report. A japanese fleet
is now in the neighborhood ofFormosa,
and when last heard from was at the
Pescadore Islands, not more than a
davis sail from Taiway, the chief COM
mercial city of Formosa. 1t is asserted
that if an uprising had occurred it is
probably at that point and that the Ja-
panese can quell it within twenty-four
hours. The island contains several
million Chinese subjects who have
gradually colonized the western coast
which lies opposite to Fo-Kien, one OF
the most thickly populated provinces
of China. They have been governed
by a viceroy who has oscillated in the
discharge of his official duties
hotwean Amov and TaiWay. 1t
is said that if the report should
be found to have foundation
in fact, the uprising may be due to the
intrigue of certain Chinese officials with
q view to embarrassing the japanese.
The aborigines in the island are a
brave and warlike people, of Malay ex-
traction and with strong cannibalistlc
tendencies. They have never been
conquered by the Chinese, who have
made no attempt to penetrate far into
the interior, but who have remained on
the coast because of their fear OF con-
hicts with the natives.
Alexandria county people here to.
day say that Messrs. Douglas and
Hume will contest the vote received by
Messrs. Johnson and Duncan in Jeffer-
son district, in that county, last Thurs.
day, upon the ground of infraction OF
the election law, in respect of the dis
lance of spectators from the polls and
in other respects, and that with that
vote thrown out the contestants Will be
elected. They also say that the school
tax of 40 cents in Arlington, 80 in JEFF
ferson and So in Washington district,
was confirmed by the election.
There is not the slightest doubt en-
tertained here that General Marti, the
Cuban leader, was killed few days
ago, as reported, Notwithstanding the
denials which come from the insurgent
newspaper headquarters at Tampa.
Florida. Official information has been
received that Marti's body has been
embalmed and will be publicly exhibit
ed in Santiago de Cuba in order that
the people living in that province,
which is the storm centre of the revo-
luton, may be absolutely convinced of
his death.
The long discussed project of trans
ferring the headquarters of the knights
of Labor to Washington seems on the
point of accomplishment. During the
past week the executive committee,
consisting of Grand Master Workman
]. R. Sovereign, 81. B. Martin, G. A.
French, T. G. Mcclure and ]. NJ. Ken
new, have been here considering the
subject, and selecting site. They final
ly decided upon a lot facing the north
front of the Capitol. A building per-
NIT has been secured, and the contract
for the erection of handsome office
building has been let. Ground will
probably be broken Monday morning.
Among the visitors here to-day is
Congressman Jones of Virginia, who is
on his way to New York, to attend
meeting of the directors of the railroad
company organized to build railroad
from Fredericksburg to the Chesapeake
Bay, through the Northern Neck of Vir-
ginia, that will be held there next Mon
day. The company has bought the
Millenbeck property, in Lancaster
county, near the confluence of the Cur
rioman and Rappahannock rivers, and
has two surveying parties working to-
wards each other, one from that point,
and the other from Fredericksburg.
MIR. Jones says Lancaster county at
Thursdays election gave five hundred
democratic majority; that Northumber-
land county elected all the democratic
candidates but one in whose place
James Coles, an Confederate, upon
whom the republicans, populists and
negroes united, was chosen; that in