The Opelousas courier., 1898-05-21
Washington, D. c., News.
Som our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, Nav lG.

Cape Verde fleet, and it is great
feared that the fleet now has it i
its power to choose whether it vii
fight Admiral SIMPSONS fleet
which battered the forts i'm til
llarbor of San Juan, Porto Rico,
few days ago, orr Commodore Schley'
fying-squadron, which is now TO
the first time acting up to it's name
enter a Cuban harbor without fight
ing, or make a dash for one of on.
coast cities. This state Of affairs
would be exasperating were it no
for the satisfaction every one feas
in knowing that this Spanish flee
is actually in American waters
1t may dodge us for awhile, but il
is bound to be IL game in the end.
The end will be at once it the Span
ish fleet tries to fight either of ou1
fleets. One mans guess is about as
good as another's about the inten-
tons 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 agrava-
ting than it appears to be. Id fact,
it is a good thing for us. Had the
original plan of landing troops in
Cuba last week been carried out, we
should not have been able to land a
sufficient number to capture Hava-
ma, which is defended by something
like 10000 Spanish soldiers, owing
to the inability of the government
to furnish equipments needed by
the volunteers; and any delay in
whipping the Spaniards out of Gu
ba after our army goes over there
will be calculated to lessen our
prestige among the nations of the
world. Dewey's men at Manila
and the succession of brave and
daring deeds performed by the men
on the ships engaged in blockading
Cuban ports, have placed our navy
among the foremost fighters of the
world, and it would be very humili-
ating for our army not to make an
equally creditable showing when it
goes to Cuba. It is therefore abso-
lute]y necessary that a sufficient
number Of men properly equipped to
what they go to do
should be sent to Cuba. The delay
will serve to place the army on
q proper footing. Just to give an
idea of the deficiency in army
equipments, it may be said that the
government has purchased the en-
tire visable supply Of tenting can
.ass iii the country and yet has on
~ enough to make abont half the
tents the army will require; the
mills are working on the rest.
The war revenue bill reported to
the Senate from it's Finance Com
is in many respects a mark
ed Improvement upon what it was
when it was sent over from the
1t now provides for the
immediate issue of $3.50, 600, 900 in
,reenbacks, and for issuing 49,,
100000 in silver certificates to rep
esent the seignorage on the silver
owned by the government,
Which it directs to he coined. 1t
axes all corporations, and strikes
ut the authority for issuing bonds.
A caucus of the Democrats of the
louise may be held this week for
be purpose Of discussing the joint
providing for the annex
ton of Hawaii, which has been
avorably reported to the House, .
nd deciding upon the advisability !
f making it a party question. I
here are a number Of Dem1 Gratis !
l the House who are oppoI d to :
nnexation. 1t is the same the 9
enate, but the Democrats q the !
tier body long ago decided not to +
axe annexation a party question, .
I'd the chances are that the same !;
'urse will be followed in the q
ouse. To attempt to do other. =
Use would be to compel those Dem :
rats who favor annexation to bolt -
e action of the party caucus. 1t .
of course, in the power of a ma &
of the Democrats in the -
ouse to make opposition to an ~
'xation q party question, but it is n
It in their power to control Dem -,
rats who have committed them n
Ives to annexation. There was N
sign that the Democratic party =,
a whole endorsed President ~,
eveland's anti-annexation policy; D
the contrary, there were many i.
ms of opposition thereto. If al
ere ever was a time that opposi- -.
n to the annexation of Hawaii .,
lid wisely have been made a par ;s,
it has long ago passed. ~
The fear that Mr.. Mckinley r.
uld give staff commissions in the ~.
.unteer army to incompetent men NJ
cause of his inability to stand r.
} pressure of the political and M
ial influence brought to bear up Gull
him in their behalf, was fully
1t would have been an
possibility to have found men
re incompetent than many Of the Pr
ilians named for positions on az
staff. This incompetency was eaj
y recognized by Mr.. Nc prl
Hey, al he selected enough off at
5 from the regular army to do the
the work that is Gknlu To ho ro t1-