The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-03-04
Washington Letter.


| From our regular correspondent
. WAsuINGToN, Feb. 2Sth.-Shall the most
| dastardly piece of trcachery perpetrated in the
nineteenth century be condoneu for cash
| consideration? That is Il question Mr.. Mckin-
! ley raised when he sent Secretary sherman
! at last the old man is given something to do
but it was nauseating job-to circulate
| among his former colleagues of the Senate,for
the purpose of informing them that the ad-
ministration had decided, if the naval court
| reported that the Maine was blown up by in
| tcnt:on, to demand cash indemnity of Spain.
| If Mr.. Sherman correctly reported some of the
| rem urks made by Senators with whom he dis
| cussed the matter. Mr.. Mckinley must have
| bIushed
Ever since it has been practically known that
the court had found unmistakable evidence
! that tine Maine wrecked by treachery, the
administration has been gradually, through
| divers, newspaper interviews, and by other
methods, preparing the public for the indem-
nifty business, by dropping hints about the in
| justice of holding Spain responsible when it
| disavowed the crime or any knowledge OF it,
| and of the probability that the crime was COM
| mitted by some Spaniard who was an enemy OF
| the present Spanish Ministry, etc. The Spanish
| CHARGE d affairs in Washington also took a hand
| in the attempt to have his country let down
! easily by officially stating that no mines or
| torpedoes have ever been planted in the har-
| Dor of HAVANA The fact that this fellow was
| once associated with de LONE was enough to
| prevent belief of any statement he might
| make.
| There is not the slightest doubt that an over
whclming majority of Congress believes with
| a majority of the people of the country that
| Spanish blood should be shed to avenge the
| poor devils who were the victims OF Spanish
| trcachcry in Havana harbor; hut there is also
! 4 strong desire i'll Congress to act in concert
| with the administration, if possible, in order
| that it cannot be said by the Spaniards, or
| other foreigners, that there is Il division of
| sentiment in the United States. This desire
| may result in Congress allowing the demand
| for Il money indemnity to be made on Spain,
but it will be, even then, largely because of the
belief that Spain could not pay the indemnity,
and would not if it could, and that war would
| he the result, anyway.
| Although Mr.. Mckinley continues to talk
ppacc. his actions, through his subordinatcs
| show that he believes with almost everybody
| else in Washington, that war with Spain is in
| cv!table, and to his credit be it placed, he is
taking vigorous steps to see that we are fully
I
il once gets started. The more promptly and
vigorously he acts upon that Maine report
which is expected this week. the better he will
| stand with Congress ana the people.
Mr. Mckinley must have been II little bit
afraid that the well-known scrapping propen-
sitiesof Teddy Roosevelt made him a dangerous
man to have in charge of the Navy Depart
| ncnt Mt this time. or Secretary Long would
| now be taking several days rest and Teddy
| would be in charge. Mr., Long announced his
| intention of going away for three or four days,
but Mr. Mckinley persuaded him to change
| his mind. Most persons would rather see
| Teddy running the machine just now.
| Representative SulZer, of n. Y, who has
been somewhat harshly criticized because of
his objection, when unanimous consent was
asked in the House that the bill, already passed
by the Senate. providing for the enlistment of
tw additional regiments of artillery, being
| taken up and considered until disposed of, I'M
mediately after the passage of the Sundry
| Civil bill, says he did so because he thought
| there was no necessity to increase the regular
army. and that he regarded the bill as an at
| tempt on the part of the plutocrats to take ad-
vantage of existing conditions to increase the
| army and this still further entrench themselves
against the pee Pile. As to the special need OF
these men now to fight Spain, Mr.. Sulzer said
"Why, if war should be declared, would re.
sign MY seat in Congress in n hours and would
raise a regiment i'll my district. | would get
thousand young able-bodied fellows who
would fight and we would go to the front
under some Federal brigade commander; and
there would be no lack of such regiments
The defeat of the Republicans by the con
, hined votes of the Democrats and Popuist:
several times recently, when the House wa:
in committee of the whole, has so aggravated
the. Republican leancrs, that they have notifies
the Republican members that they must b.
more regular in their attendance and have
given them a hint that if they are not, a list o
absentccs will be published daily, as was done
: in the forty Congress.