The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1898-05-21

name, enter Cuban harbOr with
out fighting, or make dash for
some OF our coast cities. This
state of affairs would be exasperat-
ing were it not for the satisfac.en
everyone feels in knowing thd~raIis
Spanish fleet is actually in Amer
ican waters. 1t may dodge us for
awhile, but it is bound to be our
game in the end. The end will be
at once if the Spanish fleet dares to
fight either of our fleets. One
mans guess is. about as good as
anothcr's about the intention of the
Spanish fleet, but few days will
show them.
The postpcnment of the sending
of troops to Cuba made necessary
by the presence of the Spanish fleet
in American waters is less agravat-
ing than it appears to be. In fact,
it is good thing .or us. Had The
orlgJnalF pan Of landing troops in
Cuba last week been carried 9u.,
We should not have been able to
land a sufficient number to capture
Havana, which is defended by
something like 90, 900 Spanish
soldiers, owing to the inability Of
the government to furnish equip
ments needed by the volunteers
and any delay in whipping the
Spaniards out of Cuba after our
army goes over there will be cal
culated to lessen our prestige among
the nations of the world. Dewey S
men at Manila and the succession
of brave and daring deeds perform
ed by the man on the ship engaged
in blockading Cuban ports have
placed our navy among the fore
most fighters of the world, and it
would be very humiliating for our
army not to make an equally cre-
ditable showing when it goes to
Cuba. 1t is therefore absolutely
necessary that a sufficient number
OF men properly equipped to ac-
complish what they go to do should
be sent to Cuba. The delay will
serve to place the army on proper
footing. Just to give an idea of
the deficiency in army equipments,
it may be mentioned that the gov
ernment has purchased the entire
visible supply of tenting canvass
in the country and yet has only
enough to make about half the
tents the army will require; the
mills are working on the rest
The war revenue bill reported to
the Senate from its Finance Com
mittee is in many respects a mark
ed improvement upon what it was
when it was sent over from the
House. 1t now provides for the
immediate issue Of $I5o, 900, 900
in greenbacks. and for issuing $42,
900, 900 in silver certificates to re-
present the seignorage on the sill
yer bullion owned by the govern
ment, which it directs to be coined.
1t taxes all sorts of corporations,
and strikes out the authority for is
suing bonds.
"A caucus of the democrats of
the House may be held this week
for the purpose of discussing the
Joint resolution providing for the
of Hawaii, which has
been favorably reported to the
House, and deciding upon the adj
of making it a party
question. There are number of
democrats in the House who are
to annexation. 1t is the
same in the Senate, but the demo-
Gratis Of the latter body long ago
decided not to make annexation a
party question, and the chances
are that the same course will be
followed in the House. 10 at
tempt to do otherwise would be to
compel those democrats who favor
to bolt the action OF the
party caucus. 1t is, of course, in
the power of majority of the
democrats in the House to make
to annexation party
question, but it is not in their pow
ar to control democrats who have