Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-04-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom Our Special Correspondent.l

has almost no friends in Congress.
Nothing official is known, but as un.
derstood by Congress it will put this
government in the position of asking
the Cubans to lay down their arms and
accept Spanish promises of Home Rule
for the island, a position which mis-
represents the sentiment of this Gown.
try almost as badly as though the ad.
ministration had openly taken the part
OF Spain. Whether Congress will do
anything else is not yet certain, but a
very bitter anti Spanish feeling is grow.
ing which has been increased by the
rumorcd execution of Walter Dygert.
the young American whose release
from prison had been promised by the
Spanish authorities, Secretary Olney
refuses to believe that Dygert has been
executed by the S~paniards, but Repre-.
sentative Sulzer, of N. Y, says he has
the information that he was shot from
Cubans in his district who received 1t
direct from friends in Cuba. Should
Dygert's reported execution prove to
be a fact there is no telling what it
may lead to. A declaration of war
against Spain is n of the possibilities.
The National Arbitration Conference
which met here this week displayed its
wisdom by ~electing ex-senator Ed.
munds, of Vt, permanent chairman,
his long experience in Congress max
ing him specially well qualified to per.
form the duties attached to the posi-.
ton. The conference again displayed
it's wisdom by recognizing the serious
obstacles which stand in the way of
compulsory international arbitration.
In fact, the conference proved itself a
wise body, and the general belief is
that 1t has made the proper start to-
wards securing its object, and that
some time in the not far distant future
we shall have a general arbitration
treaty with England, if not with all
other nations.
The serious charges against the man
agement of the Soldiers Home at Leav
en worth, made by Representative Blue,
of Kansas, will probably be investiga-
ted, az the House Committee on Mill
tary Affairs has voted to report a reso.
luton authorizing the Speaker to ap-
point a committee of five members to
make investigation. Ten of the six.
teen members of the committee were
present, and the vote was seven to
three. Representative Mcclellan, of
New York, son of the late Gen. McClel-
Ian, voted against reporting the resolu-
ton and gave notice OF his intention
to present a minority report to the
House asking that ii be not adopted.
If there are any Democrats who
wish to pose as the administration can
didate for the Democratic Presidential
nomination they should lose no time in
communicating their wishes to Mr..
Cleveland, who appears to have laid
aside his customary obstinacy in this
particular matter and to be willing to
allow all the would be leaders of the
party to try their hand at playing the
part. First it was Olney, then Carlisle,
who was followed by Russell, and now
it is Pattison, Of Pennsylvana. 1t may
be that Mr.. Cleveland himself is play
ing a part in this Democratic melodra-
ma. Already some of his worshippers
are saying that none of the men sug.
gested as satisfactory candidates to the
administration have developed any
support in the rank and file of the
party; that Whitney, who might de-
velop a large party following, will not
allow his name to be used, and that
there is only one man who can prevent
the nomination of a silver man by the
Chicago convention. That nan is, of
course, Mr.. Cleveland. And, accord.
ing to the aforesaid worshippers, the
only way he a head off the silver
wing of the party is to again become
the candidate himself. 1t may be that
Mr.. Cleveland has nothing to do with
this sort of talk, but it is much more
probable that he has.
Some of the Senate amendments 10
appropriation bills may have consider
able trouble in getting through the
House. In this class is that allowing
two years to change the Indian secta-
rian schools to government schools. 1t
will be remembered that when this
bill was in the House it was made to
explicitly provide that no money car
ried by it was to be expended for the
support of ~sectarian Indian schools.
There are also a lot of other Senate
amendments to other appropriation
bills that will find bitter opposition in
the House.
No positive action looking to early
adjournment has been taken in either
the House OF Senate, and nothing has
been done to indicate whether the
statement that the Democratic steer.
ing committee of the Senate had de.
tarmined that adjournment should not
take place until after the Republican
convention was fact or fiction. Owing
to the peculiar condition of affairs in
the Senate adjournment can not be had
without Democratic consent.
What They Say.
Thaso ara q fau oomnla otof 70 ~, 10