The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-12-09
Washington letter.

From our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON, December 5.-ThereGs little or
nothing in Mr.. McKinley's annual message to
Congress, long as that document is, that indi-
Gates with any decree of certainty, what policy
lie intends to follow towards the Philippines.
This indicates that he has not decided upon
policy, or If he has, that he is afraid to make It
public yet, and confirms the belief of those who
think that he INTENDS playing fOXey on the
Philippine question until after he gets that
Treaty Of Peace ratified 10y the Senate, and the
220,000.OOO which We are to pay Spain, appro-
priated by Congress. An announcement of Il
positive policy before then might result in
making too many votes against both treaty and
appropriation
Mr.. Mckinley's handling of the war and
matters relating thereto, in his message, con-
tanned no surprises. The message follows just
about the lines it was expected to folow-lines
plainly indicated for weeks. aye months, past,
10y official and semi-Oflicu examinations from
the administration. The message also indi-
Gates very plainly that Mr.. Mckinney isn't as
ANXIOUS to push along financial Legislation
some OF the members of his party would like
him to be
Senator Hale is the most rabid Republican
unti.expansionist who has yet numbered
rapid fire tongue battery and opened fire on the
Peace Treaty, which ne says he will fight to
the last. He predicts that if the Treaty is car
red into ciTe, t, it will add many millions, on
account of increased Army and Navy. to the
year.y expenses of this government, without
hringing the slightest benefit to our people ut
large; that our country will in time become
overrun by inferior races, ard numerous other
minor evils will follow. lnedition to his pre-
Gictions, he charges Mr.. McKin!ey's foreign
policy to have been inspired by the British
Foreign Office, and asks the Irsh-Americans to
join him in opposing the ratification of the
treaty. Please remember that Senator Hale is
not Democrat, talking for political effect
He is Il republican o. standing in the councils
of his party, and no longer ago than at the last
session of Congress, just after the Maine was
destroyed, he acted as the mouth piece of Mr.
Mckinley on the floor of the Senate, although
his pronounced pro-SpaEish views were at that
time well known. There is no probability that
a sufficient uumbzr of Senators will act with
MIR. Hale to re ject the Treaty, but il may not
I be ratified before the end Of this Congress,
making an extra ST. sion OF the Scnut, necessa-
! ry.
| Secretary Alger's annual report is somewhat
remarkable for its Omissions. 1t does not con-
/ tain the round robin" sent from Santiago, nCr
| does i contain Teddy Rousevclt's report,
which - eddy told the Investigation Com
| mission" he hoped they would get and red.
There are others who would be glad to read
that report, provided it could be had as it was
| written, ana as it was received ut the War De-
| partmcnt. To read Ayers report, one would
| suppose that there had been no scandal con-
| nected with the conduct of the war, and that
| everything had moved along as smooth as silk,
| whereas, every intelligent man in the U. S.
j knows TO the contrary. Some day the truth
| may he written about the war, but there are
| no signs thatit will be soon. Had Democratic
| House been elected, the outlook would have
| very different.
Boss Hanna has been giving the West Viz
ginia Republicans some lessons in Senator
/ grabbing, and scheme has been concocted
| that is expected to result in wiping out small
\ Democratic majority in the Legislature of that
/ State and the election of Republican to sue
/ coed Senator Faulkner. The Secretary of State
of West Virginia is to be the tool of the grab, his
| part being to put the Republican contestants
for seats in the House of Delegates on the rog-
uar roll, so as to give the Republicans ma
| iority of that body.
| Senator Gallery, of La, is an anti-annexa-
! onist from way back. He says OF the Treaty
| of Peace: ~ shall vote squarely against the
| proposition to annex the Philippines The
Peace Commission had no business to provide
| or their annexation. These islands would be
| the most expensive gift that one nation ever
received from another. They can never be Il
source of strength, while they will always be
| an element of domestic weakness and subject
to foreign attack in case of hOstilties with
another nation" Mr.. Gallery thinks that We
are paying too much attention to things away
from home and not doing enough to improve
things at home.
There have been numerous conferences be
tween Democrats since Congress opened, or
the policy that the party should pursue at thi
session. There are differences of opinion, somC
contending that aside from the Chicago plat
form, there is no occasion for party policy Il
this time. a Democratic House caucus helC
near the close of the last session of Congress
adjourned TO meet December 10tn. That meet
ing will be IL general party conference at which
some understanding may be reached