Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-07-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, July 16, 1898.

The Administration is not toting square
with the people in the matter of giving
out news concerning the extent of the
yellow fever in our army at Santiago
This is a blunder almost as great as that
which allowed the Spanish to send the
yellow fever laden refugees out of Santiago
into our lines, previous to their surrender
As long as the people found out before the
news began to tbe SO vigorously censored
that several hundred cases OF yellow fever
existed in our army, it is unwise TO keep
them in Ignorance as to the continued
spread of the disease. Almost every Sec
ton of the country is represented in our
army at Santiago, and it is shame not to
allow the people 10 know Just which regl-
ments the yellow fever is in, and what
success is attending the efforts that are
being made to stamp it out. 1t is altogether
probable that yellow fever also exists
among the twenty five thousand Spanish
troops who surrendered to Gen. Shafter.
If so, we will have to take care of them as
the condition of surrender, under which
we are to send them back to Spain binds
us not to allow any of those infected with
yellow fever to go upon the ships.
1t is now stated that Commodore Wat
sons feet is at once to start to Spain, but
there are still those who refuse to believe
it before it actually goes, and others who
believe that if actually started, it will go
with no other intention than to scare Spain
into asking for peace. Cablegrams from
Madrid and other European points, say
that Spain has already asked for our terms
of peace, but it is officially denied in
Washington.
1t is semi officially said that no move
ment on land against Havana will be
started until next Fall, owing to the fear
of yellow fever, and officially stated that
the movement against Porto Rico is to be
started at once. I" At once has not, how
ever, meant Immediately in the Admins
lration lexicon, in connection with war
movements.
" The war has beer very lucky thing
for the Republicans of Illinois, for if 1T
had not occurred they would have been
ingloIiousIy defeated" That is what Mr..
P. E. Furman, well-known Democrat OF
that State, says, and the same thing will
apply equally as well to other States, for it
is as plain as the nose on your face that the
Republicans are going to make their cam
palgn on the war, although they deserve
no more credit for the action of Congress
in voting all the money the AdministEa-
ti0n asked for to conduct the war than do
the Democrats and the Populists, who
voted for all the war appropriations. As
to the policy of the party in his State, MIR.
Furman says: 1.-THE Illinois Democrats
stand steadfast by Bryan and free silver,
both of which they endorsed at their State
Convention, the other day.
The man who claims that any one party
monopolizes all the patriotism in this coun-
try thus proclaims his own ignorance. 1t
seems to be pretty generally understood In
Washington that the Republican Congress
ional Committee intends to make the i'm
plication, if not the direct claim, that re-
publican patriotism in Congress was the
whole thing, the basis of its campaign doc
uments this year-an implication as false
as it would be possible to make. As a
matter of fact, if any one party in Congress
deserves more praise than the other for I'M
selfish patriotism, it is the Democrats. AL
though they knew that the administration
being republican, and majority of the
House being republican, the successful con-
duct of the war would necessarily be
beneficial to the republican party, not a
single democrat hesitated either in advoc-
acy of the war or in providing for the money
to carry it on successfully. lin the action
of the democrats, and the populists in
Congress was not actuated by pure and
unselfish patriotism, some republican
should tell the country what actuated those
men who voted for the war; although fully
aware that their votes would temporarily
at least, be beneficial to their political OPP
ponents Let the truth be told no matter
who wins.
Brave old George Dewey has been at it
again. Results: destruction of the Span
ish fort in Subig Bay, five hundred prison
ers and a notice served on the German
Emperor, through the Commander of the
German Cruiser, Irene, TO keep his fingers
out of the Philippine pie.