The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-08-25
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.

Hu-rah for Admiral Dewey He's
the top-hotcher of the whole outfit
He fought the first battle of the war,
and the last battle, and won both
without the injury of ship or the loss
of man, and some OF his ships may
be fighting yet, as he started them,
after the capture of Manila, and be-
fore he knew anything of the armistes,
for some of the other islands in the
Philippines, with orders to take pos
session of everything in sight and to
raise the American flag over every
thing captured. There was no way
of recalling these ships after news of
the armistice reached him, so that it
is among the probabilities that every
one of the Philippine Islands may be
under the American flag before the
commanders of those ships find out
everything about an armistice, and
the armistice is not binding upon
them until they have official knowl-
edge of it.
No mans hand has been shaken
oftener or more cordially this week
than that of "Fighting Joe" Wheeler,
who came to Washington in response
to orders from the War Department.
Gen. Wheeler has better opinion of
the Cuban insurgents than most of
the officers who have been heard from
on the subject. He said of them
"rhe Cubans were poorly clad and
poorly fed. They did not make a
very impressive appearance as soldiers.
They probably misundc stood the
conditions and circumstances about
Santiago. Very few of them talked
any English, and communication be-
tween Americans and Cubans was
very difficult. know of the charges
that they would not work on the roads
and other projects for tbe assistance
of the American army. think that
was due to large extent to their not
understanding what the work was for.
] found Cubans who were willing to
work after interpreters had explained
to them why the work was necessary"
MAJ Gen. M. c. Butler, who with
Maj. Gen. J. F. Wade and Rear Ad-
mirai Sampson, will represent the
U. 5. On the military Commission to
arrange for the evacuation of Cuba,
said Of their duties 81 think real
ize TIC responsibility that rests upoa
the commissioners. 1t is very great,
but l shall do my best to win the ap.
provo Of the country" Gen. Butler
said the Commission would 60 to
Havana on warship upon which
they will for time make their head
quarters. The Porto Rican Commits
sion consists of Maj. Gen. J. r.
Brook, Rear Admiral Schley, and
Brig. Gen. Gordon.
Senator Allison, who is noted as
one of the shrewdest dodgers in his
party, has declined to serve as
Peace Commissioner, probably be-
cause he was afraid that he would be
compelled to put himself on record
for or against something. In an inter-
view he talks on both sides of the
Philippine question, in the following
language "The feeling in the west
is universal that where the flag has
been raised, it must not come down.
Therefore, as respects a coaling
station or commercial base, there is
little difference of opinion. On the
larger question of holding the entire
archipelago, the public mind is not
fully made up. l find men talking
for and against such proposition.
do not believe that two. thirds
of the Senate would vote for treaty
that retained the entire group, and
yet | am certain that we could not
get two-ihirds to ratify a treaty, that
surrendered everything. Consequent
ly, we will hold something-just how
much no one can say" This leaves
Mr.. Allison entirely free to take what.
ever side of the question he may de-
eide 10 be The most popular and is in
that respect strictly Allisonian.
While in Washington this week
Gen. Fi!z Lee made formal announce
ment of his candidacy for the U. S.
Senate, although the campaign will
not actually be fought until next year.
Senator Martin is a candidate for re
election.
No republican has publicly CRITICS
ed the selection of Col. John Hay,
American Ambassador to England,
to succeed Secretary Day at the mead
of the Department of State, but not
few unprintable things have been sal
by many of them in private. Col.
Hay is a republican, but not a pohti-
clan hence the kicking.
The first plan of the administration,
to keep all the volunteers in service
until the treaty of peace with Spain