The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-07-01
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June 9th.

WAsHINGToN, d. c., June 9th.
MR.. ED1ToR:-Gen Skaters army, by
it victories in every en- cement that any
portion of it has had with the Spaniards
since its landing in Cuba, is demonstrating
to the world what we knew all the time;
| that the American soldier is no whit be-
hind the American sailor in fighting quail
tiles, and as fighter the American sailor
has never been surpassed. Shafter has
driven the enemy into the main fortified
tions surrounding Santiago, and if he is
not interfered with from Washington will
soon capture the town by assault. For
the first time during the war we have had
a considerable number of killed and
wounded, but every man who volunteers
to fight knows that he must take his
chances.
1t is claimed by friends of the admins
tration that Shafter is being allowed to
conduct the campaign against Santiago IN
his own way, without orders from Wash
ington, but there have been several things
said and done by members of the admins
tration which have been sufficient to cause
doubt of that claim to be entertained,
and if it turns out that Shafter waits for
the reinforcements that have been sent.
and are to be sent him before attacking
the main Notifications at Santiago, 1t Will
be very safe tc wager that the delay will
be the result of Washington orders. For
some mysterious reason the administration
has become alarmed less the garrison at
Santiago should prove strong enough to
defeat an attack by Shafter, and members
of it have publicly expressed the hope that
he would not make general attack until
the reinforcements reached him. This
feeling was so strong that arrangements
were all completed to send Gen. Miles to
Tampa for the purpose of taking about
Is, 900 troops to Santiago, but for some
equally mysterious reason Miles did not
90. Some say that Miles feared that he
would be charged with trying to pilfer
glory that properly belonged to Shafter,
and persuaded the administration TO
change it's plans-not a difficult task, in
view of it's habit of making changes from
day to day.
The Senate committee on Claims has be-
gun the investigation directed by resoiu-
ton of the Senate as to the payment to a
lobbyist of large percentage of the $685.
900 recently paid to the Southern Metho-
dist Book concern, by act of Congress, for
war damages to its property at Nashville,
Tenn. The investigation was dead easy,
as Mr.. Barbee, agent of the book concern,
told the committee that 81 per cent. of the
| money received had been paid to Mr..
Stahlman, who had been the attorney at
Washing ton of the book concern; and he
added that he considered the employment
of an attorney to aid in pushing the settle
ment of the old claim was a matter that
concerned only the book concern, and
| that he had not at any time considered
himself under any obligations to inform
Senators or others of the nature of the
contract made with the attorney. MI.
Stahlman, the attorney, told the committee
that he had received the pay for his SER
vices, and that he did not mention the ma
ture of his contract while the matter was
pending in Congress, because to have done
SO would have been to prejudice the claim,
and to prevent its being voted upon on its
merits. These two witnesses appear to
have told the committee everything it was
directed to find out. There is some curl
osity to know whether the committee will
recommend any action, and, if so, what
If it be crime to employ an attorney to
lobby claim through Congress, about
every claimant who has had or now has
claims before that body has been or is
guilty