The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-12-10
WASHINGTON LETTER,
From GU! Regular Correspondent.

sage 10 congress Is thoroughly pat
rIotic document from start to finish
There Is not word of partisanship in
1t. The message will not only be read
| with interest, but it will be carefully
| preserved, as it is an authentic. con-
densed history Of the events leading to
the war with Spain, Of the war, and of
the results Of the war, SO far as :hay are
known at this time. 1t is, IN itself
alone, sufficient to place President Nc
kinley i'll the very front rank of Amer.
| lean statesmen, if he had not already
attained that position. 1t is necessarily
long, but contains no platitudes, no
striving after effect nor bids for popular
favor. 1t is plain statement of some
of the most important events IN the
country's history, made by man
whose patriotism has been proven by
trials such as few men have gone
through. 1t ought to be read in every
school house in the land and studied as
a lesson in current American history,
written by a maker of that history.
Even the most partisan democrats find
nothing in ii to object to, which is
something decidedly unusual in Presi-
dents messages.
The attendance at the opening of
! Congress was quite up to the average.
both on the floor ofthe House and Sem
ate and in the galleries. Speaker Reed
| opened the House, his smiling face in
dIcatlng contentment that must have
been envied by those democrats who
have for months past been engaged in
overthrowing him, on paper. Vice
President Hobart presided over the
opening Of the Senate in his usual ur-
bane and dignitied manner. Among
the notable Senatorial absentees were
Senators DAVIS, of Mimi; FRYE, of Me,
and Gray. of Delaware, who are de-
tanned in Paris by their work as Ameri-
can Peace Commissioners. but who ex-
pect to complete the treaty of Peace
and start for home in a very few DAYS,
the difficult part having been accom-
plished when the Spanish Commissions
ers agreed to orr terms, week ago.
No man is better authority on things
Congressional than Senator Allison,
Chairman of the Committee on APP
preparations. His opinions carry weight
because of his long experience and the
correctness of his Judgment in the past
tie said Of the session of Congress that
opened to-day: "In my opinion, the
will ln
many of the debates will be of great
importance. OF the prospect Of leeis-
lation he said "It can be laid down az
safe rule that ifany measure proposed
is antagonized by a determined minor
ity, it will be withdrawn. There will
be great pressure in behalf o. legisla-
ton for the Nicaragua Canal. and if anv
important measure is passed, outside of
the appropriation bills, it will be the
Canal bill. The subject has been so
thoroughly threshed oyer that it ought
not to provoke much debate" OF the
Treaty of Peace with Spain he said: at
Will be ratified beyond doubt, and ex-
actly as 1t comes to us from the Peace
Commission. We cannot afford to stul-
tify ourselves in the face of the world
by refusing to accept the work of the
Commissioners. They have been very
careful and deserve the endorsement of
the country. / shall be in favor of
prompt action, because we ought to dis
pose OF the matter and not let it remain
in a state of uncertainty. We want to
settle as soon as possible our relations
TO the Philippines, and this we cannot
do until the treaty is ratified"
Secretary Ayers annual report is a
very Interesting document, embracing,
as it does, a brief but comprehensive
sketch of the conduct of the war, with
copies Of all official orders relating to
the army, etc. A careful study Oft
will remove the last vestiye OF founda-
ton for most of the stories attacking
the management of the War Depart
ment. For instance, the official figures
of the wounded in the Santiago cam
pai-n are complete refutation of the
stories that the wounded were not
properly cared for. There were 40
surgeons with Gen. Shafter's army. The
total number of wounded was ,431, of
whom only IS died of their wounds, a
percentage as remarkable in the his
tory of war as some of the more talked
about achievements OF the war.
Chairman Hepburn, of the House
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce, ticlpating early action on
the Nicaragua Canal bill, has announc-
ed that the committee will grant hear
ings either for or against the Nicara-
que Canal. The agents of the Panama
Canal Company, now in Washington,
are prepared it is Beloved, to spend
lot Of money TO defeat or prevent Mic
aragua Canal legislation. but the friends
of tie Canal are also in Washington in
force, including DELEGATION from the
Chamber of Commerce Of San Fran
CISCO, and they will work as they have
never worked before, because they be-
lieve success is in sight.
Senator Thurston, of Nebraska. is one
of the most pronounced expansionists
in Congress- He said, speaking of the
var Gus objections to our taking the
Philippines Il am satisfied to trust
their future to the good sense of the
American people. If they become
burden rather than a blessing. the
same patriotic spirit which demanded
their surrender bv Spain would then
set them up in independence or other
wise dispose of them, without sacrific-
ing the liberties OF other peoples and
without doing discredt to the Ameri-
can name"
Cheap Excursions to Minnesota