The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-12-08
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D, c., Dec. 9Th IS:

President McKinley's annual mes
sage to Congress is a thoroughly pa
triotic document from start to finish.
There is not a word of partisanship in
it. The message will not only be read
with interest, but it will be carefully
preserved, as it is an authentic, con
densed history of the events leading
to the war with Spain, of the war,
and of the results of the war, so far as
they are known at this time. 1t is, in
itself alone, sufficient to place Presi
dent Mckinley in the very front ranks
of American statesmen, if he had not
already attained that position. 4 is
necessarily long, but contains 40 plat
itudes, no striving after effect nor bids
for popular favor. 1t is plain state
ment of some of the most important
events in the country's history, made
by man whose patriotism has been
proven by trials such as few men
have gone through, 1t ought to be
read in every school house in the land
and studied as lesson in current
American history, written by a maker
of that history. Even the most par
tisan democrats find nothing in it to
object to, which is something decided
ly unusual in Presidents messages.
The attendance at the opening of
Congress was quite up to the average,
rf 4
-kenate and in the galleries. Speaker
Reed opened the House, his smiling
face indicating contentment that
must have been envied by those dem
ocrats who have for months past been
engaged in overthrowing him, on pa
per. Vice President Hobart presided
over the opening of the Senate in his
usual urbane and dignifed manner.
Among the notable Senatorial absen-
tees were Senators Davis, of Mimi:
Frye, of Me, and Gray, of Del, who
are detained in Paris by their work as
American Peace Commissioners, but
who expect to complete the treaty of
Peace and start for home in very few
days, the difficult part having been
accomplished when the Spanish Com
missioners agreed to our terms a week
ago.
Noman is better authority on things
Congressional than Senator Allison,
Chairman of the Committee on APP
propiations. His opinions carry weight
because of his long experience and the
correctness of his Judgment in the
past. He said of the session of Con
gress that opened to-day: SIN my
opinion, the session will be an
interesting one, and Ill a II
of the debates will be of great impor-
lance" OF the prospect of Legislation
he said: 1T can be laid down as a
safe rule that if any measure proposed
is antagonized by a determined mi
nOrity, it will be withdrawn. There
will be great pressure in behalf of leg
islation for the Nicarauga Canal, and
if any important measure is passed.
outside OF the appropriation bills, it
will be the Canal bill. That subject
has been so thoroughly threshed over
that it ought not to provoke much
debate OF the Treaty of Peace
with Spain he said: 1T will be rati-
fled beyond doubt, and exactly as it
comes to us from the Peace Commits
sion. They have been very careful
and deserve the endorsement of the
country. | shall be infavor of prompt
action, because we ought to dispose
of the matter and not let it remain in
"a state of uncertainty. We want to
settle as soon as possible our relations
to the Philippines, and this we can
not do until the treaty is ratified"
Chairman Hepburn, of the House
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce, anticipating early action
on the Nicaragua Canal Bill, has an
nounced that the Committee will
grant hearings either for or against
the Nicaragua Canal. The agents of
the Panama Canal Company, now in
Washington, are prepared it is be-
lieved, to spend lot of money to de-
feat or prevent Nicaragua Canal leg
islation, but the friends of the Canal
are also in Washington in force in
Guiding a delegation from the cham
Der of Commerce of San Francisco, and
they will work as they have never
worked before, because they believe
success is in sight.
Senator Thurston, of Nebr., is one
of the most pronounced expansionists
in Congress. He said, speaking of the
various objections to our taking the
Philippines: II am satisfied to trust
their future to the good sense of the
American people. If they become a
burden rather than Il blessing, the
same patriotic spirit which demanded
their surrender by Spain would then
set them up in independence or other
wise dispose of them, without sacri-