The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-07-07
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 4, 1898.

WASHINGTON, D. c., July +, 1898.
President Mckinley probably, all
things considered, never passed
more satisfactory Fourth of July than
this one Gen. Shafter has justified
all the confidence placed in him by
winning a series of glorious victories
at Santiago, victories in which Adj
miral Sampson and his gallant sailors
won new honors for the American
navy, and which add no little to the
respect felt by the world for the fight
ing qualities of Americans. There is
only one drawback to the general re-
ioicing and that is the large number
of killed and wounded on our side.
The victories have been glorious, but
they have also been bloody. But
such is war. The peans of victory are
with rare exceptions, such as the vic
tory of Dewey in Manila Bay, always
mingled with mourning cries for the
gallant dead, and sympathetic tears
for the brave men wounded. Shat
ter's victories were won by assault
upon an enemy strongly fortified, and
could not have been otherwise than
bloody.
Notwithstanding the persistency
with which statements to the contrary
continue to be circulated, President
Mckinley has not even considered
issuing another call for troops, and
unless there are some unexpected
DEVELOPMENTS he does not expect to
have to consider the matter. He be-
lieves that we have enough men now
under arm, to complete the job of
thrashing the Spaniards, which has
been so gloriously conducted up to
date.
Alabama ought to be proud of her
representatives in the L. 5. Senate.
Senators Morgan and Pettus are dem
ocrats, but not the obstructive kind.
They are Americans first of all, and
as such they have been strongly sup
porting the administration in its con-
duct of the war; also in its efforts to
bring about the annexatian of Ha-
wall. In an able speech in favor of
annexation, Senator Pettus replied
to the charge that annexation would
cause us to build a large navy by
saying: II hope to God it will. |
welcome the day when our navy will
be so powerful that no nation of the
world will ever dare to offer us an
insult"
Interest in the war has not made
those who are interested in keeping
the Government Printing Office I'M
der the civil service rules cease their
efforts to prevent action by the Pres
ident that will take the office out of
the control of the civil service com
mission, which desires to hold on to
the office, has submitted a plan for
the apportionment of the employees
of the Office among the several states
and territories, and prominent men
are Wy lllS " lllt L
TO let the office remain under civil SER
vice rule. AS soon as he can find
time, President Mckinley will take
up this matter and settle it. 1t is
still generally believed in Washing
ton that it is to be put aside of the
civil service.
The stamp section of the War Rev
enue law has not been as troublesome
to put into effect as many had pre-
dicted. So far as Washington is con-
cerned, the new law which went into
effect on the LIST of the present month,
has made more amusement than real
trouble. The paying tellers of banks
were surprised at the large number
of their depositors who didn't know
that revenue stamp had to be at
tached to their checks, but they
didn't cash any checks until the re
quired stamp had been stuck on.
About every other person who filed a
telegram registered a kick when in
formed that it would not be accepted
until stamped, and wanted to know
why the telegraph company did not
stand this tax. Some dealers are try
ing to profit largely by the stamp tax
by adding five or ten cents to the
price of articles which are taxed,
something like one eighth of one
cent, but their customers as a rule
are calling them down.
The opposition to annexation is
dying hard, but there is no doubt
that it is dying. 1t is doubtful
whether it has strength enough to
keep up the fightall this week. 1t is
expected that vote will be taken
in the Senate on the annexation reso-
luton this week. If the resolution
be adopted by the middle of the week,
this will probably be the last week
IL. =. r. IL