Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-12-16
UNDETERMINED.
UPON A LOFTY BRINK THEY
STAND.
Whether to Do Thing 50 UnAmen;can. or
forIso the Immediate Benefits of Expansion,
Requires Time to Decide - No More Bic
Army Offices SAYS Representative HuIl-Etc
Our Regular Correspondent.


ASHINGTON, Dec. y, lSJS.
Republican leaders are as reticen
about the Congressional policy Of tn
party at this session as Mr.. Mckin
lry'> massage was about the policy O
the administration towards the terri
tory acquired from Spain, but, youn
as the session is, one thing has beef
made plain. That is, that the admin
iS:ration and the leading Republican
in Congress have combined for tn
purpose of preventing an early extr
session OF the next Congress, ii it cal
possibly he done. The word has beer
passed around that all OF the regula
appropriation bills must be passed a
soon as possible, and that no bill likel,
to provoke extended debate will b,
pushed by the leaders
Mr.. Mckinley did a clever and politi,
act when he invited Gen. JOSEPH
Wheeler and his daughter to accom-
pany the Presidential party to thu
Atlanta Peace Jubilee, next week
Fighting Joe" accepted the invi
tation.
Gen. Miles recommendation foI
the reorganization of the regular army
based upon the suppo.ition that the
strength of the army will be increased
to 100000 men, in accordance with
the recommendations made by Mr.
Mckinley and the Secretary OF War
contains much that is calculated tO
arouse antagonism in Congress. For
instance, the proposal to create three
new officers, a General and two Lieu.
tenant Generals. Such positions have
been created by Congress in he past,
but it was done to honor particular
officers and the grade was only estab-
lished temporarily. The proposition
Of Gen. Miles, if adopted, would estab-
fish them permanently and would put
men into them who have earned no
special distinction, and there would
then be no rank to he conferred upon
officers who may hereafter greatly dis
tingush themselves. If there is any
officer in our army who earned promo
ton to Lieutenant General, or to Cen
eral, in the war with Spain, his achieve
ments have not become known to the
public. The claim of friends of Gen.
eral Miles that he was thwarted in
every direction and prevented from
displaying his military ability by Sec
rotary Alger, is doubtless true, but
that certainly furnishes no good rea-
son for promoting Miles to General.
The status of Gen. Miles with the
administration is fully shown by the
fact that the bills for the reorganiza-
ton of the army which have been in
troduced in the Senate by Senator
Hawley, Chairman OF the Senate Mill
tary Committee, and in the House by
Representative Hull, Of the House Mil
itary Committee, ignore the recon-
mendations of Gen. Miles, except as
to increasing the army to 100, 900 men.
Mr.. Hull says the recommendation of
Miles are good, but that Congress
would not pass bill containing them,
on account of the opposition to crea-
ting so many high grade officers.
Representative Hay, of Va, tried to
get peep into the administrations
hand, by asking unanimous consent
for the consideration of a resolution
requesting the Secretary of War to in.
form the House what towns il. the
islands OF Cuba, Porto Rico, and the
Philippines will require to be garris-
oned by soldiers of the United States,
and how many soldiers will be required
but there was immediate objection on
the Republican side, and the resolution
went to the committee on Military
Affairs, to be pigeon-holed.
Although Senator Vest did not sub
NIT his resolution, declaring that I'M
der the Constitution this government
cannot adopt the European colonial
system, but that all territory acquired
must be governed with the purpose OF
ultimately organizing such territory
into States for admission to the Union,
to any number of his Democratic col
leagues before offering it, and giving
notice OF his intention to deliver a
speech in its favor at an early day, its
underlying principle is endorsed 10y
many Democratic Senators. Already
the Republicans are saving that Sena.
tor Vest will not be allowed t. speak
on his resolution in open session, be-
cause speech in favor of the resolu.
ton will niece ssarily be against the
ratification Of the treaty of peace and
must be made in secret session.
Although Representative Sulzer, OF
New York, offered resolution pro.
viding for Il Congressional inves,iys-
ton of the conduct of the war, and is
member Of the committee on Mill
tary Affairs, to which it was referred
he doesn't expect favorable action on
the resolution from that committee
the members of which are und, too
many obligations to Secretary Alger
for personal favors granted in making
army appointments.
Senator Perkins, OF California, who
probably has more personal knowledge
OF the Philippines than any other man
in Congress says that while he knows
all about the Philippines he knows
little or nothing that is good. He was
asked if the trade of the islands was
not valuable, and he replied: ain 1896
the exports of the islands amounted
to only little more than $4,000 600
The revenues to Spain in that year
only aggregated to $l3,500,9OO, even
under Spanish taxation and it cos,
$l3, 100000 to collect this revenue
leaving net balance of 100000
When you remember that it cost MS
$S.OO0.O0O last year to provide for
lSS 900 Indians in this country, YOU
can estimate how much it will cost us
to maintain the Philippines with ne
balance from the islands in our favor
Last Saturday Calvin Maupin and
Ira Sheets discovered the body Of
dead man in deserted cabin about
a mile from VIM. Anderson's logging
camp, near South Bend. 1t was in d
bad state vi uccumpositiOn, and they