Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-11-17
Our Washington Letter.
WAsHINaToN d q NV 8

was in session here last week and the
boss archetect in his opening speech
took occasion to repeat the standing
assertion of the profession that our pub
tic buildings are archii ecturally nothing.
They except the new Library and tole.
rate the State, War and Navy building
The Capitol meets with unanimous dis.
approval. Nevertheless doubt whether
any of us would want it changed. A
sight OF picture of the great dome with
the statute of Liberty, the projecting
wings and the massive columns always
wakens thoughts of the glorious past of
our Nation, recalls momentuous events
occurring there within our own brief
recollection and impresses us with our
present greatness and future possibili-
ties as the greatest republic of all time.
Let those who will say it resembles an
old hen lowering brood of chickens or
spring any other crazy comparison, those
of us who are just American citizens and
coldn't distinguish between a colonnade
and row of stumps by moonlight, will
still feel proud of our Capitol building
and all it represents. In sacredness it
comes next to the flag
The annual report of the Treasurer of
the United States has just been made
public and is an interesting document
for students of finance. Although there
is slight decrease of assets, the report
considers the national treasury to be in
better shape than at the beginning of
the fiscal year. An interesting state
ment is that up to October 31st
the Spanish war has cost US S164,-
932,22S. There is also a chapter on
the gold reserve which also gives some
important statistics A synopsis of the
report will doubtless appear in all the
leading papers and will be worth while
to take time to study it.
Among other postal experiments for
the benefit of the rural population the
department proposes to try the plan of a
post office on wheels to operate in the
vicinity of Westminster, Maryland. A
wagon properly equipped will travel
over a designated route and mail will be
taken up and delivered at convenient
points. If successful it is expected to
extend the service to include registered
letters and money orders.
News comes from Cleveland that Mark
Hanna is preparing to begin work on
the next presidential campaign, few
weeks after the fall election. There is
no question as to Mr.. McKinley's re
election and the object is announced to
be the perfecting of such an organiza-
ton as will render the republican candi-
date certain of success. If Mr.. Hanna
has really decided to take this course, it
will no doubt develope chronic insomnia
in the free silver ranks and cause such
an epidemic of Hannaphobia among the
contributors to the Coin-Harvey fund as
will make even yellow journalism seem
only mild jaundice.
While we have been busy re arranging
the map of the world at the expense of
Spain a new republic has been quietly
born to the south of us. Nicarauga,
Salvador and Honduras have given up
their sovereignty as nations and formed
themselves into the United States of
Central America. Their presidents be-
come governors and their congresses
Legislatures. A constitution has been
adopted similar to our own but pre-
sident shall no. be privileged to i'm
mediate reelection. The new nation
has population of about 100000, an
area of 10000 square miles and a great
stretch of sea coast. 1t will be through
the territory of this country that the
Nicarauga canal must pass when COM
pleted. The land is said to be very
fertile and the country to be rich in UNI
developed resources. The movements
which led to this consolidation began in
1895 in an attempt to unite the foreign
affairs of the nations and has eliminated
in their complete union. Should the
new government be able to successfully
maintain itself and effectually end the
periodical revolutions which have kept
that continent in a ferment of semi
anarchy, promised field OF commercial