The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-12-30
ashington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent
WASHTNCTON n ~ Dao OK 1000

Ss ~ ii"o e"ihetAinS 10 say. Con-
sequently, he always gets the atten-
ton OF his colleagues when he speaks,
although he is not an orator, in the
general acceptance of the term. His
strong point is facts, and he brought
out an unusual lot of them when he
proceeded to demolish the things set
up by Senator Vest in the name of N
argument in favor of his resolution,
declaring that this government had no
constitutional right to acquire terri
tory except with the intention of ad-
mitting it to the Union as a state.
Mr.. Platt made it as plain as A, B, C,
that this government had a clear right
to acquire territory to be disposed CT
in any manner 1t might see fit, and
clinched it by showing that it had al
most from the beginning of the gov
ernment exercised this right without
question.
Republicans in Congress are delight
ed with President McKinley's triumph
ant tour of the South, and enthusias-
tically endorse everything he said
about expansion and the government
caring for the Confederate dead. The
enthusiasm with which the Presidents
straight-from-t -the-shoulder expansion
talk was received in the South was a
pointer for some of the democratic
anti-expansionists that is being care
fully studied.
Mr.. Bryan was not altogether salts
fled with the results of his trip to
Washington. He did not find the
democratic response to his anti-expan-
sion keynote all that he expected it
would be. On the contrary, he was
plainly told by number of democratic
Senators and Representatives that
they could not endorse his position,
and that their constituents would not.
If he had it to do over again, there is
very little doubt that Mr.. Bryan would
be less emphatic in expressing his op-
position to expansion, but as he has
fully committed himself, there is moth
ing left for him to do but to stand by
what he said, and take the consequent
ces.
Strange as it may seem, there are
Senators and Representatlves-no
of them republicans-who oppose the
bill to increase the regular army to
100000 men, and to otherwise put,it
upon modern basis. Some of these
men were very loud in their COM
plants, because. the organization of
the army at the beginning of the war
with Spain, was so inadequate to the
occasion that there was unavoidable
delay in getting the army into fight
ing condition. Now, they want to
perpetuate the old and inadequate or
ganization, forgetting the advice Of
Washington-"In time Of peace, pre-
pare for war;" Fortunately for the
country, these obstructionists are in
the minority their opposition may
delay the increase of the army, but it
cannot prevent it.
Congress will this week adjourn for
the customary Christmas recess OF
two weeks. No time will really be lost
by the recess, as all the important
committees will work right through it.
The Angl-American Commission has
taken a recess until Jan. 5. The work
of the Commission mas not been pro-
crossing very rapidly, of late, and it is
now practically certain that if there
is a treaty at all, it will not include
reciprocity.
Hon. David J. Hill, Assistant Secre-
tary of State, delivered an interesting
address on the "cxpansion OF civiliza-
ton" at banquet. Referring to the
disposition in some quarters to harp
on the word imperialism, Mr.. Hill
said "a malignant disposition could
not have selected worse word than
imperialism. A better word, which
expresses the true condition, is expan-
sion. 1t is not new one and the idea
is not novel. 1t has existed since the
inception of national growth. Civili-
zation must go on until there is not
one province, one island, one lndlvid-
ual upon which its benign light does
not fall" He answered those who
argue that it would be violation OF
the Constitution for us TO set up a
form of government over any people,
without allowing them to choose Its
form as we'll as its officials, by saying:
"Nations as we'll as individuals must
pass through the period of minority.
It was so with this nation. See how
closely our forefathers guarded the
right of franchise. All constitutional
LAWYERS agree that the franchise is not
/ a natural right, but a legal gilt. The