Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-03-04
WAR SPIRIT PREVAILS
OUR CORRESPONDENT REGARDS
WAR AS INEVITABLE.
Hawaiian Annexation i'm the Bal
ance-.Jcrry Simpsons Rcpartec
Gar Reed May Yet Find it EX.
pedicnt to Bow to Public Senti.
nlcnt.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Feb. %, 1898.

Senator Morgan's plain talk, in a
speech against Senator Aliens attempt
to make the recognition Of Cuban
belligerency a rider to an appropria.
ton bill, was refreshing in these days
OF tricky craftsmanship. He said that
he had voted for the belligerency reso-
luton that the Senate adopted last
| Maybe was its author-and that he
was not only ready to vote for the
same thing again rs an Independent
measure, but was ready TO vote for de-
claration of war against Spain, which
he regarded as more proper than at
tempting to sneak a belligerency de-
claration through 10y attaching it to
an appropriation bill. He add. d that
he had always believed that Spain and
the United States would fight over
Cuba and that he still believed il
that he had always believed that as
soon as Spain realized that it had lost
Cuba, it would seek war with us, in
order to save Spanish pride by making
it appear to their people 1T home that
it was the United States that secured
Cuban freedom.
Things are looking decidedly better
in Washington, to those who believe
that it is better to fight than to be
trampled upon and spit upon. than
they were last week. Members OF the
administration are still talking peace,
but they have quit trying to cram the
accident" theory of the loss of the
Maine down mems throats, and
what is better than all, they are
preparing to fight. They still claim
10 have no more information than
they have given to the public. and to
be awaiting for the report Of the Naval
Court of inquiry, now sitting in
Havana harbor, in order to ascertain
whether the Maine was accidently
blown up or was blown up by Spanish
torpedo. Their claims are not worry
ing anybody, so long as they are 60
ing ahead theoretically making
Preparations for that war with Spain
which majority of Congress now re-
gard as inevitable. In fact, Mr.. Nc
Kinley is said to have become con-
WINGED by reports from Gen. Fitz Lee,
and other U. S. Consuls in Cuba,
that regardless Of the Maine catastrophe
the time has about come when he
must either intervene in behalf of
Cuba or eat the threat of doing so,
after giving Spain an opportunity to
try its autonomy fake. made in his an
nual message to Congress. Those
consular reports, which show beyond
the shadow of doubt that autonomy
in Cuba is dead beyond hope of re-
surrection, have been called for by
both the House and Senate. Mr.. Nc
Kinley has held them back, he says be-
cause Of the excitement caused by the
wreck Of the Maine; but it is probable
that his knowledge that lie must act
after they are laid before Congress also
had something 10 do with the delay.
Unless all signs fail he is getting ready
to act, and not minute too soon,
either.
The administration is much alarmed
about the success OF Hawaiian an.
nexation, and fresh efforts are being
made to get enough votes to ratify the
treaty in the Senate, in order TO keep the
matter from getting before the House
at all. This fresh alarm was started
by Representative H. U. johnson, of
Indiana, who surprised everybody by
making u corking good speech against
the policy Of annexation in general,
and especially against the annexation
Of Hawaii. while the Sundry Civil bill
was under consideration. The ap-
plause given Mr.. johnson from his
own side OF the House indicates that
more Republicans will vote against q
resolution for annexation than had
been put down in the opposition
column, and the administration fears
that annexation will be defeated in the
House, if it gets before that body.
There are about twenty Democrats in
the House who would vote for annexa
ton.
Representative Perkins, OF Iowa, is
the latest Republican who tried TO take
fall out of Jerry Simpson and failed,
as the following dialogue, which &C.
Cured in connection with q few re-
marks of Jerry concerning the ten.
dency of pleasant conditions to make
millionaires and paupers, will show:
Perkins," Would you object to being
a millionairef" Simpson, should
not. / don't believe in playing the
hypocrite. But that / am not q
millionaire 10 evidence of my disin.
clinatiOn to take advantage of my
fellow-men." Perkins" II you were
\ millionaire, I presume you would adj
init that there was some respectability
among them?" Simpson -" Yes, l
have no doubt ! should add AT least an
air OF respectability to them" The
shouts of laughter convinced Mr..
Perkins that he had enough.
Gear Reed has not yet given his con.
sent for the House to pass the bill au.
thorizing the enlistment Of two ad-
ditional regiments OF artillery in the
army, which the Senate has passed,
and without which it will be i'm
possible to properly man number OF
heavy batteries which have been es-
tablished in connection with our sys.
tenn OF sea coast defences, but public
opinion in favor OF this legislation is
making itself SO distinctly felt in WASH
ington that he will probably see the
wisdom of doing so. Dem.