The Press., 1896-11-19
Washington Letter.
Washington, Nov. 18th, 1sss.

War between the United States and Spain is no longer merely far away it is strong probability many think certainty-of the near fu- ture. Such is the opinion of the most l men who are posted on the situation in Spain, for it Is the situation in that country, and not in either the U. s. or Cuba, that will bring war, if war | really comes. O61ials of this govern | ment who will talk at all on the subject | say that they do not expect war, but they l will acknowledge that the administration | is taking every precaution to be prepared for war If it does come. The situation in Spain which may compel the Spanish government to provoke war with this country is well known to our officials, and may be summarized in few words. There are three political parties in Spain, the one to which the regents of the boy king belong being the weakest in numbers and the two others are already discussing the advisability of combining and doing a little blood-letting at homo, making few funerals in the family of the boy king and in those of his advisers, and giving Spain a new deal. The loss of Cuba would greatly aggravate the Spanish people who are almost unanimous in blam- ing the U. s. for the Cuban revolution. That is why Gen. Weyler Is making strong personal effort to crush the Cuban rebellion. If he fails, as he Is almost cer- tain to do, members of the Spanish gov ernment may regard @ declaration of war against the U. $. as the only way to save their necks and to give their subjects an excuse for the loss of Cuba. Spaniards as a rule know little of the power of this country, ,and imagine not only that the war could be confined to American waters, but that they could bring us to terms by capturing or destroying our sea-coast cities; or at the worst, if they fail, they
 would only lose Cuba, and that they would rather lose 1t to the United States than to the insurgents. It is said that 1t
 is his knowledge of the situation in Spain
 that has caused President Cleveland to
 continue his policy of absolute neutrality,
 against the sentiment of congress, a ma
 iority of our people and majority of his
 own cabinet. He is said to be determined
 that if there is war, Spain shall be re-
 sponsible for it.
 If the schemers in politics as we'll as in
 business could be eliminated, there would | be little doubt of tariff legislation at the
 coming session of congress which would
 furnish the government the needed 1n-
 crease in revenue and would at the same time make an extra session of congress
 unnecessary; but as the aforesaid
 schemers have never failed to play their
 part at any session of Congress, in which the tariff was either acted upon or talked
 about, nobody expects them to fail to put
 in their appearance at the coming session
 and nobody expects, although many hope
 against their judgment, that anything
 sufficiently satisfactory in the way of in-
 creasing revenue to make the holding o
 an extra session of congress unnecessary
 will be accomplished. For reasons O.
 their own-mostly selfish, all of the
 schemers want an extra session of con gress.
 The moro congressional experience {
 man has, the less likely he is to go of
 half-cocked in making predictions abou
 what congress: will or will not do. Sena tor Morrill,, of Vt., who leads the senat n in continuous service, has arrived 1T v Washington to remain during the session u of congress. He has been besiege by c the newspaper men for this opinion o f what congress will do, He received then 1 all with characteristic courtesy, but firm 2 ly declined to be interviewed.
 d Representative Bingham, of Penn if doesn't expect any tariff legislation at tn V col ming session of congress, and he says :, he has no doubt that an extra session will meet within month or so of Mckinley d inauguration. He is one of the numerou ,r republicans who oppose passing th
 Dingley or any other temporary tari
 bill at this session of congress, beoaus J. by waiting few months the party ca l. pass general tariff bill with the certaint n that 1t will become law. But right hel le arises the question, will it be certain t l. pass the senate, even If an extra sessio le be called? Unless the republican silv' @, senators vote for protection tariff bill 's or the republicans get the senators fro 9d all the states now in doubt, it is by I 5h means certain that protection tariff bi 1e can get majority vote of the senate aft 1t, the 4th of March.
 IS A noticeable feature of the situation le disinclination on the part of the silv le men, either in the house or in the senat Ie to commit themselves in advance of Il le assembling of congress. They want h. get together and talk matters over befo fe deciding upon any line of action, and s- movement is on foot among them to hO d. silver caucus and decide upon poli' CT to be supported by them all. If tt t. should be successful, 1t would not effe
 the house, but the silver men have a st
 majority in the senate, and if they act m unit will be masters of the situatio w just as they were at the last session.
 UrIg1n Of t5arUer Poles.
 An English gentleman of letters h Q0 ~oooy,kIx ouO1uod from tho pnuctv 10oo