Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-01-30
JOHN BULL SHOWS HIS HAND.
Which RAY Kill the Arbitration Treaty
PETERS Petitions.
From our regular correspondent J

/ is really behind that sensational pro-
test against the Nicaragua Canal Bill,
made to Secretary Olney by the Min
lister Of the Greater Republic Of Cen
tral America, and sent to the Senate
by Secretary Olney, John Bull has
made a break by showing his hand
too soon. OF course the protest, by
showing that the government of Mic
aragua already regards the Canal Com
pany as having forfeited all the con-
cessions granted it by that govern
ment, will kill the present Nicaragua
4 Canal bill, but it will also go much
further. 1t may kill the arbitration
treaty recently negotiated between the
United States and Great Britain. 1t
has been openly charged on the floor
Of the Senate that English diplomacy
was working through the combination
Of those three little Central American
Republics to put England il position
where it could either control or have a
share in controlling the Nicaragua
ship canal. This may or may not be
true, but so long as there are grounds
for suspicion, there will be danger
that the arbitration treaty will be re-
jected by the Senate. If there is one
policy upon which the Senate is prac-
tically unit, it is that the Nicaragua
Canal shall, if ever completed, be con-
trolled by the United States, and if it
be shown that this question might
have to be submitted to arbitration
with the casting vote, in the hands of
European monarch, then goodbye to
the arbitration treaty. The Senators
who have openly protested against
the public clamor for immediate rati-
fcation of the treaty, on the ground
that it was too important a matter to
be hurriedly acted upon, regard this
Nicaragua canal incident as a vindi-
cation of their position. Secretary
Olney, however, doesn't take that
view of it, and would not have been
so prompt in sending that protest to
the Senate had he supposed that it
would cause additional delay in acting
on the treaty.
Some of his colleagues are inclined
to poke fun at Senator PETER because
of the petition from Kansas Populists
against increasing the salaries of Sena-
tors and Representatives and extend
ing the term of the President, he has
presented since he was defeated, and
an x-Confederate elected to be his
successor There isn't the slightest
probability that the billto increase the
salaries of Senators and Representa-
tives will even beseriously considered
but Senator PETER is jocularly accused
of holding back those petitions until
he knew he would have to leave the
Senate. -'n y
The refusal to appoint a woman to
vacant $500 clerkship in the War
Department, for which she had passed
very difficult examination and was
the only one eligible under Civil Ser
vice rules, is likely to be made the
subject of Congressional investiga-
ton. The examination required that
the applicant should be able to trans
late into English military works in
French, German, Italian and Spanish;
to do typewriting in all Of these Ian
guages; to do proof-reading and pre-
pare manuscript for the press; to be
familiar with library methods, cata-
loguing, indexing, ETC.; also to be
tested in the use of the English Ian
guage and literary composition. Miss
Maud Stalnaker, of Washington, D..
| c., was the only one who was able to
/ pass N1C NNoAlAiiolAOhi Oul Ah~ W ca
Department refuses to appoint her to
the position because she is woman.
So much has been written about the
lack of dignity on the part of exRep-
resentative Billy" Mason. of Illinois,
who was last week named by the leg
islature as Senator Palmer successor,
that his friends are rightiully begin
ming to protest. Mr.. Mason is popu
lar in Washington, He is a man OF
fine instincts, and it is merely his love
for good story and hearty laugh
traits of L.incoln-that have caused
him to be called undignified. One of
the Illinois Representative gives this
picture of him that will be at once
recognized by all who know him "He
is one Of the readiest gentlemen ever
knew to do a favor for friend. Trouble
doesn't count with Billy Mason when
asked to render a service by any one