The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-05-20

tFrom our Regular Correspondent

feared that the fleet now has IT in
its power to choose whether it will
tight AdmiralSampson's fleet, which
battered the forts in the harbor OF
San Juan, Porto Rico, a few days
ago, or Commodore Schley's flying
squadron, which is now for the first
time acting up to its name, enter a
Cuban harbor without fighting, OF
make dash for some of our coast
cities. This state of affairs would
be exasperating were it not for the
satisfaction everyone feels in know
ling that the Spanish fleet is actual
lily in American waters. 1t may
dodge us for awhile, hut it is bound
to be our game in the end. The
end will be at once if the Spanish
fleet dares to fight either OF our
fleets. One mans guess is about
as good as another's about the in
tention of the Spanish fleet, but a
few days will show them.
The postponement of the sending
of troops to Cuba made necessary
by the presence of the Spanish
fleet in American waters is less ae-
gravating than it appears to be. In
TACT it is a COED thing for US. Had
the original plan Of landing troops
lin Cuba last week been carried out,
we should not have been able to
land sufficient number to capture
Havana, which is defended by some
so, 900 Spanish soldiers, owing to
the inability Of the government &c
furnish equipments needed by the
volunteers and any delay in whip
ping the Spanish out OF Cuba after
our army goes over there will be
calculated to lessen our prestige
among the nations of the wcrld.
Dewey's men at Manila, and the
succession of brave and daring
deeds performed by the men on the
ships engaged in blockading the
Cuban ports, have placed our navy
among the foremost fighters in the
world, and it will be very humilia-
ting for our army not to make
equally as good showing when it
goes to Cuba. 1t is therefore abso-
|lutely necessary that a sufficient
number of men, properly equipped,
to accomplish what they 60 to do
should be sent to Cuba. The delay
will serve to place the army on a
proper footing Just to give an
idea Of the deficiency in army equip
ments, it may be mentioned that
the government has purchased the
entire visible supply OF tenting can
vass in the country, and yet has
only enough to make about half the
tents required by the army; the
mills are working on the rest.
The war revenue bill reported to
the Sc aate from its Finance Com
mittee is in many respects marked
Iimprovem.n upon what it was
when it was sent over from the
House. 1t now provides for the
Immediate issue Of $50, 100000 OF
greenbacks, and provides for issu-
ing $42 100000 in silver certiti-
Gates, to represent the seignorage on
the silver bullion owned by the
government, which it directs to be
coined. 1t taxes all sorts of corpo-
rations, and strikes out the author
Iity for issuing bonds.
The fear that Mr.. Mckinley
would give staff commissions in the
volunteer army to incompt tent men
because Of his inability to stand the
pressure of political and social
Influence brought to bear upon him
in their behalf, was fully realized
It would have been an impossi-
bility to have found men more in
competent than many Of the civil
ians named for positions on the
staff. This incompetency was fully
recognized by Mr.. Mckinley, as he
selected enough officers from the
regular army to do all the work
that is likely to be required OF the
staff, which will leave the incompe-
tents to do the ornamental.
A fight is being made by the to-
bacco men against the proposed in
crease in the internal revenue tax
on tobacco from 6 to 16 cents Id.
They say that the increase to II
cents, provided for in the House
bill, would have put upon tobacco
more than its full share of war tax
es, and it would be unjust to push
lit up to l6, as provided for in the
bill reported to the Senate.
The single gold-standard gamblers
in stocks also find fault with the
coinage provisions Of the bill. They
want the war to give them another
| chooco IN uouvp tho ppopla