The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-07
WASHINGTON, ID. G., News.
From our Regular Correspondent.

The publication of plans TO i'll
wade Cuba this week to the extent
of capturing 81 port and landing
six thousand mel from the regular
army, to make % junction with the
Cuban army and operate against
the Spaniards, a few hours after 1t
had been determined upon by the
authorities, aroused the admins
tration to the necessity of taking
some steps to prevent the publica-
ton of intended war movements IN
advance of the movements them
selves, as there isn't the slightest
doubt that such publications are
cabled to Spain as soon as they APP
pear. The result is an order that
no military information shall be
given out by snbordinates Of the
depart@<Ft;end lest the argus-eyed
newspaper mEA might sec som.
scral of writing KAT would siXe
them a clew to the lstenL-~move-
ments theT are to be barred ont e.
all the Offices in the wal and navy
departments.
Every scrap Of news from OR
warships, whether relating to the
capture of Spanish prizes, the 81
lencing of Spanish forts or the gal
lent action of our Asiatic squadron,
increases public confidence in the
fighting qualities of IL navy, and
the hope that the order will soon be
issued to give Sampson a chance to
batter down the Notifications of
Havana.
Uncle Sam has too many re-
sources to allow the activity in the
fighting branches of his establish
ment to interfere with the orderly
conduct of business in the fir more
important peaceful branches. The
war will not be felt to any marked
extent in the industrial and COM
mercial progress of the country,
and Uncle Sam will continue to do
his part by looking after our postal
system, public lands, granting pat
ents to inventors, etc, without ne
SlcCtln5 luc
1t is not creditable, but it is new
ertheless true that many politicians
of his party are showing much more
anxiety to succeed in their efforts
to get Mr.. Mckinley to appoint
their favorites officers in the yolun.
teer army than they are in making
efforts to help rush the war to a
speedy close. In addition to the
number of appointments that will
be at his disposal under the law re-
organizing the regular army, there
are 3S4 officers to be appointed in
the volunteer army-12 major gen
erals, 81 brig. generals, and the
following staff officers: II lieutenant
colonies, 100 majors, LAT captains
and IS first lieutenants. The scram-
Bile for staff positions especially is
being participated i'll by men who
make no pretence of having any
other claim Of ability to fill the place
than political pull. In the appoint
ments so far announced Mr.. Nc
Kinley has not yielded much to
| political influence. and he has told
a number of democratic Senators
and Representatives that lie did
not intend that politics should de-
termine a single II of these APP
pointments, but it is greatly feared
that he will not be able to stand
the pressure when it comes to the
staff appointments.
The Democrats who voted a.
gainst the Republican war revenue
bill, which passed the House by a
vote of ISL to i31-only six Demo
Gratis voted for the bill-did not do
so because they did not believe in
providing the government with all
the money that it will need to lick
Spain, and any other European ma.
ton that attempts to meddle with
the %threshing process, but to show
their disapproval, not only of the
method by which this bill provides
raising money but of the method
resorted to by Mr.. Dingley and his
Republican associates of the Ways
and Means committee in preparing
the bill. The Democratic members
of the committee were not asked to
help prepere the bill, but an at
tempt was made to cram it down
their Threats after it was prepared,
although it is undemocratic all the
way through, because all of the
taxes il. inposes will fall heaviest
upon the poorest of our people, and
the richest and most favored class
es and corporations will not be
made to bear their share of the bur
den. The Democrats also believe
that the authorization of the issue
of 5000, 900, 600 in bonds was un-
necessary at this stage of the war,
and that all Of the money needed
could be otherwise provided for
anyway. A caucus of democratic
Senators was held to discuss the
bill, now in the Senate committee
on finance. More than three
fourths of those present indicated
their intention to take the same
stand the Democrats did against
the bill, but in Difference to those
who said they intended to vote for
the bill as a war measure, no eau
Gus action was taken. One Of the
latter was Senator Vest, who said
he WOuId vote to strike ont the bond