The St. Johns herald., 1898-12-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Some News Notes From the Ma
 tiOnaI Capital.

From Our Regular Correspondent
 Waehingtno, Nov. 21, 1898
 Nobody need be misled by the back.
 ing and filling of the Peace Commission.
 CTS and the weekly crisis, on paper al-
 ways accompanied by an alleged ulti-
 matum sent by this government demand
 ed the Philippines. The price we are to
 pay for them. That question is still un- settled. Why, some of the Spanish
 bondholders could doubtless tell. When 1t is settled we will have the treaty Of Peace and not before. That Mir. Me Kinley could quickly settle this business by sending an ultimatum is unqustioned also that he ought to do it, but it is hu- initiating, i'll the extreme, to have men close to the administration announcing every week that one has been sent, when day or tive afterwards it became ap- parent to all the world that it mas not.
 It is the easiest thing in the world to wet people accustomed to and indiffer- ent to large public expenditures. Only flew years ago the appropriation of billion dollars by republican Congress aroused the public opinion of the coun. try, and elected a democratic President and Congress. Since then, about every Congress has been billion-dollar Con- gross, and the press Congress, which has already appropriated almost bill ion dollars, will, by the end of the com ing session, have reached the two bil lion mark lit true that a considerable portion of this money IS chargeable to the war, but ou side of the war, the pub lie expenditures are entirely too extrav- agent, and might be largely curtailed without lessening the efficiency of the government.
 Mir. Mckinley has shown his adroit- ness as politician by deciding not to recommend any legislation at the com ing session of Congress for Porto Rico or the Philippines, and to keep the is- land under military rule for while. He knows that the question of legislation for the island will be troublesome one and prefers that it shall not be taken up until his party has a majority in both branches of Congress.
 Assistant Secretary, of war Meikle- john wishes to be the Hanna -McK Kinley for the Senate, from Nebraska, and his friends say that he thinks he will be, the condition being that he shall promis to support the administration in all thin gs in the Senate, and that he shall secure solid Mckinley delegation | fro m Nebraska to the Republican Con- yen ton in 1900. The same sort of pledgs s being exacted as the price of admin support of all the other candi- dates for the Senate, in the states where | she legislatures to elect Senators are controlled by the republicans. MT Mo- Ainley seems reasonably certain of a but Boss Hanna will take 10 chances and will, if in his power. 'linch the thing long before the conven- s help. It is to carry out this clinching program that the Republican National Committee is to open headquarters in at once, and keep them 'pen until after the Presidential election t is also part of this scheme to exhibit he strength of the administration ma hine to Czar Reed, as 8 warning. Itis announcing that the Canadian imerican Commission, now setting ia Washington, has uaae gfea. .raEress ut the announcers take good care to ( accompany the announcement with the tatement that the agreements reached y the Commission have been only upon minor matters, and that the important