The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-11-19
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent.

bers OF his Cabinet would doubtless be
much amused at the persistence with
which new war scares are launched
through the columns of the yellow
journals, if the subject were not too
serious and important to be regarded
from a jocular point of view. Seeing
how easy the scares have been hoated
and with what avidity they have been
pushed along by the. gullible, a gang
OF Wall street spectators got up one
and according to the financial reports,
they succeeded in fleeing thousands
of easily frightened spectators out of
large sums OF money by using their
war scare to hammer down prices of
speculative stocks. AS long as people
will swallow any sort of crazy story
that unscrupulous newspapers may
choose to print, it will be impossible
to stop this sort of thing. OF late, the
Navy Department cannot order yes
sci to be repaired or the General OF the
Army cannot discuss the need of ad-
ditional coast defenses without it be-
ing taken in some quarters to mean
that war is expected in few days.
The. only remedy is for sensible peo-
pie to exercise their sense in the choice
of the newspapers they read. AS a
matter OF fact, while the yellow jour
mails of New York and the spectators
OF Wall street were hysterical over the
alleged danger of war, the President
and his Cabinet were quietly attend
ing to the routine duties of their posi-
ton, not dreaming of such an awful
thing as war. 1t would be expecting
too much OF perverse human nature to
expect that this country would never
again engage in war, but it can be
truly said that there is no danger of
the good people of the country going
to sleep some night in peace and wax
ing the next morning to find the coun-
try at war. President Mckinley de-
sires no war, and expects no war ith
Spain or any other country. Peace
and prosperity are what he wishes con-
tinued.
The keystone of the instructions
given to Consul General Lee, who will
return to Cuba this week with the ex-
pressed intention to remain until the
persons and interests of American citi-
Zens in Cuba, and in order to impress
those instructions the more strongly
upon the mind of General Lee, they
were given in person by President Nc
Kinley. There are no new develop
ments concerning the relations be-
tween this country and Spain and
none are expected in the immediate
future, sensational rumors to the con-
trary Notwithstanding.
The annual report of Hon. Ell. Clay
Evans, Commissioner of Pensions, has
been made public 1t shows the net
increase in the total number of pen
sioners for the year ending June 30th,
last, to have been 1886, and the total
number drawing pensions on that date
976,014. There are still seven widows
and nine daughters of revolutionary
soldiers drawing pensions. Among
the important recommendations OF
the report are the publication of a
complete list of pensioners, and the
adoption of legislation by Congress
that will prohibit the payment of a
pension to the widow of any soldier
of the war of the rebellion who shall
marry after the date upon which such
law shall go into effect.
Washington repu blicans are much
interested in the selection of repub-
lican successor to Senator German by
the Maryland legislature. Location
makes that interest perfectly natural,
but in addition to that is the fact that
| four of the gentlemen who are being
talked of as probable candidates are as
well known to Washington people as
any citizen of Washington. They are,
Judge McComas, who was put upon
the bench of the Supreme Court of the
District OF Columbia, by President
Harrison, after having made an un-
usual record in Congress for the length
of time he served; Postmaster General
Gary, whose business like administra.
ton of his great department has made
him hosts of new friends and admirers
Governor Lowndes, who has always
been popular in Washington, and Rep
resentatiye Mudd, whose qualities az
an all-around nervy political fighter
have made him liked by the rank and
file of the party. Others nave been
named in connection with the Sen
atorship, but it is this quartette in
which Washington republicans are
most interested With such men te
choose from, there is no, likelihood thai
.the MARYLAND legislature will make s