The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-03-25

om our regular correspondent.

From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, March 21.-This week will
probably determine whether Mr.. Mckinley is
sagacious enough to retain the undivided sup
port of Congress in his Spanish policy. 1t will
all depend upon the action he takes on the re-
port of the Naval Court of Inquiry, which he
now has. If he acts promptly and properly on
that report and then sends the report and u
statement of what he has done to Congress, he
will be squarely and unanimously supported
by Congress to any extent. But if he plays into
Spain's hand by making a weak demand and
delays the matter by keeping the report away
from Congress, there will be trouble right
away. A large majority of both branches of
Congress have made up their minds that Sena-
tor Proctor was right when he said that no set
tiement of the Cuban question could possibly
be satisfactory that left the island under the
Spanish flag, and if Mr.. Mckinley doesn't lay
his policy along that line, he will probably find
Congress taking the matter out of his hands.
He can control the situation if he does the right
thing; otherwise not. Much will depend upon
his first move, which should be made this week.
\ statement prepared at the Pension Office
shows that more than S10,0O0,0OO have been
legally paid by pensioners to pension attorneys
during the last seven years. Just how much
the attorneys have illegally gotten from the
pensioners is more or less uncertain, but there
is data enough III the Pension Office to show
that the illegal eXactions more than equal the
legal fees. 1t is not surprising that the pension
attorneys should be able to maintain power
full lobby.
1t is relief, in the midst of so much war
talk, to read of the triumphs of peace. as shown
III the greatness and progress of American in
dustry through its association with the United
States Patent system. In an annual report of
thirty pages, Hon. A. p. Greeley, Acting Com
missioner of Patents, has incorporated much
valuable and important information for inven-
tors, patentees, manufacturers, capitalists, pub
icsts, and in fact, for every body who is inter.
ested in industrial progress, of which the press
synopsis that has been published gives very
faint idea. This pamphlet will be mailed free
upon request, by the Commissioner of Patents,
Washington, d. C.
Fool talk is as plentiful in Washington as
fools are everywhere, but it need not catch
anybody who chooses to use little bit of COM
mon sense, in Analysing it. For instance, just
see how absurd, when this test is applied, is
the story, one of the latest, that the i've great
European powers had united for the purpose of
demanding that the government of the United
States should state whether it intended to an-
mex Cuba, and if so, that it should proclaim Il
tariff policy for all that would not be affected
by changes of administration. The absurdity
Of European nations demanding what any
bright school child knows to be impossible IN
der our form of government-the binding of
its successors by an administration-effectu
disposes of this story, but Others equally alb
surd are continually started.
Many Senators and Representatives are
sharply criticisng the administration for coun-
tenuncing the presence i'll Washington OF the
three alleged Cuban Commissioners, who joint
Is with the Spanish minister form what they
are pleased to call, the reciprocity commits
sion,'' and who have actually had the audacity
TO take the preliminary steps towards the me-
gotiaton of u reciprocity treaty with Spain, to
include Cuba. What adds to the aGdacity is
the fact that these so-called commissioners are
acting in good faith, are not what they claim
to be, but are engaged in lobbying for con-
tinuance of autonomy in Cuba, although to do
so they have to practically call liars several
United States Senators, Consul General Lee,
and every intelligent newspaper correspondent
who mas recently been in Cuba, us all of these
have declared in unmistakable terms that
autonomy has been from the first HAT failure.
IL is thought by number of gentlemen who
are familiar with the game that these agents of
Spain are trying to play, that the administration
would be justhablc in sending them home, but
il is whispered that the administration wants
| them just where they are, and that notwith-
standing the sentiment OF Congress and of the
public in favor of free Cuba, six members of
Mr. McKinley's Cabinet favor a policy on the
part of this government that will result in the
continuation upon some terms of the farce of
autonomy i'll Cuba, and the use of the power of
this government to compel the Cubans to &C
cept it. This seems too monstrous for belief,
but it is seriously talked aboutin Washington,
and is given to you for what it is worth. Per-
sonally, your correspondent does not believe
| that Mr.. Mckinley would dare try to carry out
such policy, and is certain if he did that Con-
| grcss would not allow it to be done under any
| circumstances.