Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-03-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
AN INTERESTING SUMMARY OF The
POLITICAL DRIFT AT THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL

POLkT1CAA ONAEV Az THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL
Secretary Long either talked too
much or too little when he said:
"The element of official Spanish
participation IN the explosion has
been practically eliminated" and
then added that the administration
had received nothing but what had
been made public concerning the
investigation of the destruction of
the Name. The only thing elm
mated by what has been made
public is the accident theory;
therefore, unless he has Informs
ton which has not been made pub
lie, Secretary Long was doing what
all other naval officials had been
positively ordered not to do,-the-
orlzing when be used that langu-
age. He did mot better the case
any when he stated that his only
reasons for saying that official
Spanish participation had been
eliminated from the case was the
statement of the Spanish charge
d. affairs at Washington that there
were no mines in Havana harbor.
AS Mr.. Long had just left cabi.
net meeting when hs used the
words quoted above there isn't the
slightest doubt that they were de-
liberately used for a purpose. I
will not go to the extent that some
do, and charge that it was intended
either for notice to the Naval court
of inquiry of the sort of verdict
desired, or as a notice to the
country that policy of peace-at-
any price was to be followed, but
it certainly has not served to
strengthen confidence in the inten-
ton of the administration to stand
up vigorously for national honor,
regardless Of cost or consequences.
About the only thing: done this
week by the administration look
ing like business was the making
of contract for $1,000, 000'sup-
ply Of projectiles, for the new high
power guns Of our coast defenses.
That no immediate action is ex-
pected on the Maine catastrophe
was shown by the departure. for
Cuba, this week.. Of a. party in
Guiding Senators Thurston, Money,
and Gallinger, and Representatives
Amos j. Cumming, and William
Alden Smith. These gentleman
are going directly to Havane, on a
private yacht, for the purpose of
doing a little Investigating on
their own hook, and they expect
to get information that willbe USE
full when the matter gets before
congress. They expects to be gone
about ten days.
There is quite stir among
members of the house over re-
port that Gear Reed intended to
try to rush the appropriation bills
through and to force an adjourn
ment of congress, in order to pre-
vent declaration of war, or any
other action on Cuba. A paper
was at once circulated by republi-
cans among republicans pledging
the signers to vote against adj
journment under any circum-
stances before satisfactory action
had been taken on the Cuban
question, and enough signers have
already been obtained to block an,
adjournment scheme, with the aid
of the democratic and populist
votes, which have promised,
A bill for the conditional repeal
of tho federal tax or currency
issued by state banks has been in
troduced by Senator Plat, of New
York, much to the surprise of
democrats, who have ct various
times sought the repeal Of that tax
which they have always considered
unjust. Mr.. Platt's bill authorizes
state hanks to deposit with the U.
G %rooe,ro, <ho L1~<1. e