Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-03-30
W aSllingtOn Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent

| WASHINGTON, March 25, 1895
President Mckinley will probably ir
the years to come look back upor
the cabinet meeting held today us
the most momentous one held
since the close of the civil war
The subject under discussion was the
official report of the Naval Court oil
Inquiry on the destruction of the
Maine, which is now in the custody
OF the president. The report will
not be made public until after it has
been sent to congress and il will not
be sent to congress until next week
| but a number OF the leading men in
| both branches of congress have al
ready been informed of the contents
OF the report, which Is a long one.
There may be surprises in the report,
but 1T IS well-nigh certain that it's
main purpOrt will not surprise any
body. When the report is sent to
congress the president will also inform
congress of the nature of the com
municatIon he has sent to Spain
concerning the report.
Senators Gallinger and ThurstOn
have added their testimony as eye
witnesses to that of Senator Proctor,
as to the deplorable condition OF
affairs in Cuba and the necessity of
immediate action on the part of this
gOVernma nt in order to save the
lives of hundreds of thousands of
innocent women and children, the
victims Of the inhuman policy OF
Spain. Senator Gallinger does not
hesitate to openly advocate the an
nexation Of Cuba, but if the admin
lstratlon and congress deem it wise
to go no further at this time than in
tervention he will accept that, pro
vlded that it shall be in the interest
of free Cuba, entirely independent Of
Spain III any way. Sena tor Thurston
fully agrees with Senators Proctor 4, d
Gallinger that no settlement will be
satisfactory that leaves the Spanish
flag flying over any portion of Cuba,
and that sentiment is also shared bv
the majority in congress.
The naval appropriation bill now
before the house indicates that this
country intends to be prepared to
hold its own IN any lighting it may
have to do. 1t provides for three
battleships of the most formidab BILE
type. one to be named Maine; for five
new dry docks; for six torpedo boats.
and for six torpedo boat destrovers.
The combine Of Democrats, Popu-
lists and silver Republicans. which
was recently made for the purpose of
helping along the election of free
silver members of the next house. is
about to 20 to pieces, if, indeed, it
has not already done so. The Pops
and silver Republicans haye found
out that the Democrats wanted their
votes without giving them their share
Of the possible winnings. The orig
lnal agreement was that all of the
Pops and silver Republicans who
now hold seats in he house were to
be renominated and be supported by
the full strength of the combine, and
that no Democratic nominations
for congress were to be made in any
district where majority of the anti
Republican votes were not Demo-
cratic. 1t is nov known that this
agreement is to be broken by the Dem
Ocrats, and the other parties to the
combine are naturally objecting.
Senator Hanna has been so per-
slstently misrepresented in connec-
tior with the Cuban question that
be made a statement this week in
which he said that he had been in
favor of using every honorable
method of maintaining peace with
Spain solely because he dreaded the
horrors of war and that he had no
connection with the alleged syndicate
formed for the alleged purpose Of
buying Cuba from Spain.
President Mckinley has signed the
bill for the relief Of the families Ofthe
Maine victims, and Of the su vors,
which was unanimously passed by
both branches of congress.