The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-02-07
ACCUSED OF MEDDLNG.
President and Cabinet Are Not
Pleased.
CONGRESS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

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Matters?-Pension Night In the House.
A Laughable Incident-drs. Mckee In
Washington.
WASHINGTON, Feb. Especial. 1T is
not believed by members of the admins
tration and of the diplomatic corps that
the Cuban resolutions reported by the sem
ate foreign relations committee will have
any effect, even II adopted by both houses
of congress. 1t is somewhat extraor-
binary method of expressing sympathy
that of asking the mother government to
recognize the belligerency of rebels against
her authority. While it is true Spain
could give this recognition without serious
loss and, in fact the advantage tactical
ly might be on her side, no one believes
the Madrid government will for moment
listen TO the proposal. Their fear is the
moral effect President Cleveland and his
cabinet, / have good reason for thinking,
are not pleased with the apparent DISPOSE
ton of congress to interfere in such whole
sale fashion in foreign affairs. They think
management of the foreign affairs should
be left to them, as was contemplated by
the constitution. They argue that while
congress may be entitled to its opinion it's
actions and expressions only tend to COM
plicate our relations without accomplish
ing any real good.
Chance to Make an Epoch.
General Weyler. the new commander of
SPANS forces in Cuba, who will soon be
in the field, may be an epoch making gen.
eral. He has a great opportunity to dis
tinguish himself. If he proves To be a man
of swift movement, great grasp of affairs
and military capability, he may suppress
the rebellion much quicker than any one
has hitherto thought it possible. But, on
the other hand, if he permits his soldiers
to practice cruelty or unnecessary severi-
ty in dealings with prisoners or suspected
rebels, ne will soon have the United States
down upon him. / know whereof speak
when ! say that between the government
of Spain and the government of the Unit
ed States there is u tacit understanding
that the rebellion must be crushed by the
time the rainy season comes on again,
which is in May or June, or the United
States will interfere 1t will interfere be-
fore then If unnecessary cruelty Is prac-
ticed. If prisoners of war are shot down
in cold blood; If noncombatants are pun
ished as If they were criminals, as was the
case in the former war, the administration
at Washington will lift its hand and vir-
tually, though at first automatically, say
that these things must stop.
Spoke of widow Woman"
Every Friday night the members Of the
house of representatives have good time
That is pension night. Nothing but
pension bills are in order, and though
only few members appear in their seats
the debates are often of most interesting
character. Sometimes the speeches are
eloquent, sometimes they are sad, as the
sufferings and disappointments of victims
of the war are depicted, and now and then
they are quite funny. 1t always sounds
odd when member of congress, presuma-
bly, an educated man, talks in public of
"a widow woman" Many members
make this mistake, though no one appears
to notice it.
Frequently members of congress savage
ly criticise the conduct of the government
pension inspectors sent out TO investigate
applications for pensions. Recently Mr..
Mccall of Tennessee asked the house To
listen to story which he had To tell con-
corning one of these inspectors. lit out
Herods Herod, " said he. 1T is the case
of Mrs. Elizabeth Sanders of Bergman,
Mo-, whose husband was shot through sew
en- times during the war. He died, of
COuTSc Ills NluOW dppllcu lOT "a penSfall.
These spies were sent out by the depart
ment. One of them went TO this widows
home. He was there for dinner, and dur
ing the forenoon she slipped out to her
neighbors and borrowed enough stuff to
give the man decent dinner, and she sat
him down to a decent dinner obtained
from her neighbors That man reported
the fact that that woman had sat him
down to an excellent dinner as an evil
dence OF her ability to gain livelihood. -
This anecdote was greeted with laughtes
and applause.
For COMPATIBILITY Only.
It Is understood that President Cieye
land will soon go away from the capital on
another ducking trip. There has been q
good deal of comment on the fact that the
president is always accompanied on these
journeys by his medical adviser, DR.
O'Reilly. / am informed by a member of
the cabinet that DIR. O'Reilly goes along
not because the president is likely to have
need for his services, but because the Jolly
doctor is favorite of Mr.. Cleveland's and
Is asked to go for the sake of companion
ship more than anything else. AT the
same time IL is admitted DIR. O'Reilly
would be handy man to have on the boat
in case of accident or sudden illness
DIR. O'Reilly Is a surgeon in the army
with rank of major. He is assigned to
duty In the department, and is expected
to attend army officers who have need for
his services But this is only nominal. As
a matter Of fact the doctor has little else
TO do but TO look after his distinguished
patient, the commander in chief of the army
and navy of the United States, and as Gen.
eral Admiral Cleveland is now in very
good health DIR. O'Reilly has what his
fellow officers call "a soft snap
Mrs. Mckee of Indianapolis, daughter
Of ex-President Harrison, is again In Wash
ington and quite active in society. Mrs.
Mckee is very popular here, and the many
friends she made while member of the
White House family are glad to welcome
her back to the capital.
WALTER WEIIMAN