The Opelousas courier., 1898-02-26
Washington Letter.
our Regular Correspondent.

Iiclii u CSuidI correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 81, 1898.
How much longer Congress cal
stand the strain which has been i'm
posed upon it by the action, or rather
]non-action of the administration upOI
and the killing of $50 Of its men, il
is problenatical. Mr.. Mckinley llas
disappointed many Of his supporters
and nothing but the nnwritten law un-
der which Congress has always sup.
ported the President in all questions OF
policy affecting Il foreign nation has
prevented an outbreak before this
inasmuch as there are probably not sc
men in Congress who do not belive that
the Main was blown up Intentionally, it
lis difficult to understand why Mr.. Nc
kinley and the Secretary of the Navy
should so persistently assert their be-
lief that the awful calamity was the re-
suit OF an accident on Board the Maine.
The naval attache of the Spanish Lega-
ton, has publicly announced the same
belief, andsadded that the accident was
tho result of carelcssness and lax dis,
cipline. Ye gods! and this meddle-
some fool has not been sen after De-
LONE. 1t could have been understood
if Mr.. Mckinley and his Secretary of
the Navy had SAID that they had no
opinion to offer III advance of the find
ing Of the naval court of inquiry, which
has been appointed to investigate the
awful affair, but why they should take
Captain Sigsbee and the other brave
officers Of the Maine, is only explain
able upon the theory that they are
afraid Of offending Spain, and that in
the event OF the failure TO find direct
and conclusive evidence that the Maine
was blown up by Spanish t%reacheiy,
Captain Sigsbee is to be made a scape-
goat. lt was the general opinion IN
Congress that MI. Mckinley should
have ordered the entire u. S. fleet, now
off the coast of Florida to Havana lIar-
Dor, to remain during the investigations,
but so far not Il single warship has been
ordered there. Secretary Long says
that one will be. 1t is not surprising
that the Spaniards should think and
say that they are afraid to send anoth-
al warship to Havana. Up TO this time,
Mr.. Mckinley has done only one thing
that has mettiio unqualified approval OF
Congress-, and the indications point to
his having done that under compulsioh.
That was to refuse to grant the request
of the Spanish authorities at Havana,
to have Il Spanish diver accompany
every American diver who made an *
animation of the hull of the Maine.
Just who is entitled to credit for his
having done that has not yet been as
body is, as Secretary Long had stated
the official request reached
Washington, but after 1t was known
that it would be made, that 1t would
be granted. Congress doesn't wish the
world to know that it differs with the
President hence it has so far done
nothing further than to appropriate
$1,000 to be used in saving as much
the Maine and her equipment as pos
,ible, but the strain is terrible, and it is
,till Oh.
There is a difference of opinion as to
whether Senator Mason chose just the
light time to make that red hot speech
If his, and also as to the good taste of
some of his remarks, which we're GER
ainly not such as would be likely to
our prestige abroad, but the
ruthfulness of the following is very
apparent: "Why should the administra-
ion now hesitate The President hes
tated because of automDy. Why |
,hould he not act when the minister
las confessed that it is not real, but a
raud and a sham? Autonomy, by the
he confession Of the Spanish Minister,
S a fraud, a delusion and a snare-a
ommon confidence game of a common
hief, confessed out of his own mouth"
10 n could doubt the contempt felt
y Mr.. Mason for Spanish diplomats
nd Spanish diplomacy, after he
aid II would not sit down
t the same table with a Span
ard unless | had al iron-clad wall be-
his stiIetto and my architecture.
here is nothing in Spanish diplomacy
or Il hundred years which prove them
nything but common scOundreis."
Nothing yet seriously proposed in
he line of paternalism goes further
han a joint resolution offered by Rep
sentative Lowering, of Mass, pro-
iding for an amendment to the Con-
authorizing Congress to reg
lIte the hours Of labor in all the states.
Ne House Judiciary Committee has
been giving hearings on that
len from the South appeared before
le Committee to protest against the
solution, but they could have saved
IOney by staying at home. We may -.
,nle to that sort of thing in time, but ;
Dt yet. :
Only IL Democrats and one populist =
,ted for the BANKRUPTCY bill which !
assed the House by a vote of 159 to
4. The pill passed is a substitute for
10 Nelson bill passed by the Senate at I
g extra session, and it provides for +
9TH voluntary and involuntary bank !