The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-03-11
OUR WASUINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., March 9Th

ASHlNGTON, IL. L., MaftH .tn.
MIR. EprToE:-Thcrc is no denying that
the present policy of the administration is
a@gravatin" and CALLING to the average
American, regardless of his political affili-
alton. 1t is difficult to understand when
Spain is moving heaven and earth to Dor
row money and to buy warships to fight
us, why we should not be openly prepar-
ing for war by having Congress anpropri-
ate the money needed to buy additional
warships and to put lis on Il war footing
generally, instead of pretending that the
preparations for war which the admins
tration is making, not only to the extent
of available appropriations but in antici-
patton of appropriations, are merely
routine proceedings. We are not fooling
Spain, and it seems nonsensical trying to
fool ourselves. Mr.. Mckinley knows just
as everybody else knows, that there isn't
one chance in ten that war will be avoided.
He knows that the acceptance of blood
money from Spain will not be counter
anced, and that peace at any price policy
would have no supporters outside of Wall
street and its connections. Knowing these
things it is his duty to ask Congress to
make the necessary appropriations to put
the country in Il proper condition of de-
Tense and to enable it to give Spain the
thrashing it has been itching for during
the last year or two. 1t is no valid excuse
to claim that doing so would be Il rehcc
ton upon the Naval Court of Inquiry If
so, Spain has been casting reflections npon
that Court quite nrmcrnuSly during the
last few days But, as Il matter of fact,
would it be any more reflection to openly
ask for the money from Congress Ia make
proper and needed preparation for war,
than it is to be secret making conditional
contracts for the same thing. in anticipa
ton of appropriations that Congress has
not even vet been asked to make: There
is probably not IA man in Congress who
would ask that Il gun be fired in advance
of the verdict of the Court Ct Inquiry, but
.nasmuch as everybody now thinks that
of the Maine was not an accident, there is
little doubt that Il majority of Congress
would like to see the administration open
ly making ready toAi ght after that verdict
is rendered.
1t appears that the friends of Hawaiian
annexation are afraid to try to secure an
neXation by "A joint resolution, owing TO
threats OF the opposition to keep Congress
IN, soca;,, oil c,,p,p,or thov
secret meeting of the Senate committee on
foreign relations it was decided to make
| another attempt to ratify the treaty. If
that fails, as it is expected to do, the whole
matter may be dropped until the next SEES
sion of Congress.
Gar Reed latest ruling, that democrats
shall not when the House is sitting as
Committee of the Whole criticise the adj
ministration, the republican party, or any
individual republican, is another step to-
waids the absolute throttling of free
speech in the House, and is just as out
rageous as any of those in the same direc
ton which have preceded it. From the
birth of Congress the custom has been to
who made speeches while the House was
sitting as the committee of the whole, but
this new autocratic mpmbo jumbo says
no democrat will he allowed to make 4
political speech except when the bill un
der consideration is purely political. This
muzzling rule would be outrageous even
if it were made to apply impartially to all
members of the House, but when applied,
as it has been, solely to anti-rcpublican
members it is more than outrageous; it is
depriving the representatives of the peo-
pie of their constitutional right to be heard
| at all times.
The United States reward has been in
creased to 81 800 for the arrest of any per-
son or persons who were connected with
| the killing of the neg~o postmaster at Lake
City, 5. c., and his child, and Il number OF
Government detectives have been put on
| the case. The members of the 5 nth Caro-
| lima delegation in Congress all say that
the State authorities are also trying hard
| to run down and punish the perpetrators
of this harbarouS crime.