The Republican., 1898-06-02
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., May 30. 1898.

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they have received, official and other
wise, that Commodore Schley has the
Spanish fleet penned up in the harbor
at Santiago de Cuba, but the invasion
of Cuba will not be ordered until Com
modore Schley has officially reported
that the Spanish fleet is in Santiago
harbor. This report may be made
any minute. If the Spanish fleet is
there, it will be helpless to do us any
harm, and will in the end be absolu-
tely bound to be captured or DESTROY
ed. Although portion of the volun-
teer army is still unprovided with all
needed equipments, there are more
than $4,000 men, about three-fourths
regulars, ready for embarkation, and
they can all be landed in Cuba within
twentv-four hours after orders are is
sued.
President Mckinley left his work
long enough Saturday to visit Camp
Alger, on the Virginia side of the Po-
tomac, near Washington, and reviewed
$4,000 of the 10000 volunteers now as
sembled there; lack of equipments
prevented all the men taking part in
the review. President Mckinley ex-
pressed himself as highly pleased with
the spirit displayed by the men.
This week each of the governors
will be officially notified of the num-
Der of men his state is expected to
furnish on the second call for troops,
by the President last week There is
noespecial hurry about enlisting these
$4,000 men. In the first place, they
will probably not be needed;they have
been called for more to provide for un-
expected contingencies than because
of any pressing need for them at this
time, and in the next place, there will
be no equipment for them until after
those already in service have been all
provided for.
What is treason? This question be
comes of the greatest Importance
when the country is engaged in war.
1T is a serious matter to accuse men
of being traitors, but black doesn't
become white because it isn't called
black. In TIMES of peace it was all
right for men to oppose the anneXa-
tlOn of Hawaii because they did not
personally believe that this country
would be benefited thereby; but, now
that the President, his entire Cabi-
net, and every officer in the army and
navy whose opinion has been asked,
have declared that the immediate an
neXatiOn of Hawaii is a military neces-
sity, without which our attempting to
hold the Philippine Islands may be
turned into disastrous failure and
all of the fruits of Dewey's great vic
tory be lost, it is not all right. On
the contrary, ii is all wrong. That
free speech may at times become dan
gerous is shown by the activity of the
sugar trust LOBBY to prevent Congress
providing for annexation of Hawaii.
Notwithstanding that the administra-
tion,a large majority of Congress, and
an overwhelming majority of people
were strongly in favor of annexation
even before it was declared to have
become military necessity If this
lobby isn't guilty of treason. it is dan
gerously near to being guilty. From
the day that the President declared
annexation to be a military necessity
1t has been the patriotic duty of Con
gress to annex, without regard to per
sonal opinions of individuals.
AS soon as President Mckinley can
get the time he will issue an order, in
accordance with an elaborate opinion
prepared by Attorney General Griggs
declaring that the Government Print
ing Office never was legally under the
civil service rules, because it belongs
under the legislative, and not the ex-
cutive branch of the government.
The same opinion has operated to
put an end to the movement for the
placing of the Congressional Library
like the Government Printing Office,
is Congressional institution. There
are many desirable places in the 6. O.
P. now held by democrats.
Paymaster General Stanton has
made plans which will ensure the reg
ular payment of the troops sent to the
Philippine Islands. Paymasters sup
piled with enough for three months
pay accompanied the troops which
have already gone and the same plan
will be followed as other troops are
sent. Only gold and silver will be
used in making these payments.
Senator German exploded a few
bombs in the ranks of the anti-bond
silverites in the Senate in patriotic
speech he made in favor of upholding
the hands of the government by au-
thorizing the issue of bonds, ;and op-
posing the issue of either silver certi-
ficates or greenbacks. After calling
attention to the fact that no war had
ever been fought without an issue of