Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-12-24
ncKINLEY,s TRIP
To the South Bryan's Trip TO WASH
ington-Democratic Opposition to
Increasing the Army.
tFrom our Regular Correspondence

| WASHINGTON, Dec. I9.--KepaDh-
cans in Congress are delighted with
President McKinley's triumphant
tour to the South, and enthusiastical
/ ~ endorse everything he said about
> oansion and the government car
ing for the Confederate dead. The
enthusiasm with which the Presidents
straight from the-shoulder expansion
talk was received in the South was a
pointer for some of the Democratic
anti .expansionists that is being care
fully studied.
Mr.. Bryan was not altogether sat
isfied with the results Of his trip to
Washington. He did not find the
Democratic response to his antiex-
pansion keynote all that Re expected
il would be. On the contrary, he
was plainly told by number OF Dem
ocratic Senators and Representatives
that thew could not endorse his posi-
ton. and that their constituents
would not. If he had it to do over
again, there is very little doubt that
Mr.. Bryan would be less emphatic in
expressing his opposition to expan-
sion, but as he has fully committed
himself. there is nothing left Tor him
to do but stand by what he said, and
take the consequences.
Strange as it may seem, there are
Senators and Representatives-none
of them Republicans, who oppose the
bill to increase the regular army to
100. 900 men, and to otherwise put it
upon a modern basis. Some of these
men were very loud in their COM
plants, because the organization OF
the army at the beginning OF the war
with Spain, was so inadequate to the
occasion that there was unavoidable
delay in getting the army into light
g condition. Now, they want to
perpetuate the old and inadequate or
ganizatiou, forgetting the advice of
Washington-"In time of peace, pre-
pare for war" Fortunately for the
country, these obstructionists are IN
the minority; their opposition may
delay the increase of the army, but it
cannot prevent it.
Congress will adjourn this week for
the customary Christmas recess OF
two weeks. No time will really be
lost by the recess, as all of the import.
ant committees will work right
through it. The Anglo-American
Commission has taken recess until
January 8, The work of the commls-
sion has not been progressing very
rapidly, of late, and it is now practi-
cally certain that if there is treaty
at all, it will not include commercial
reciprocity.
Hon. David J. Hill, Assistant Sec
rotary of State, delivered an interest
ing address on the expansion of civ
ilization" at a banquet. Referring
to the disposition in some quarters to
harp on the word Imperialism" Mr..
Hill said: "A malignant disposition
could not have selected worse word
than imperialism. A better word,
which expresses the true condition, is
expansion. 1t is not new one and
the idea is not novel. 1t has existed
since the inception of national growth
Civilization must go on until there is
not one province, one island, one in
dividual upon which its benign light
does not fall"
The Senate Committee on Foreign
Relations, and the House Committee
on Territories are both at work upon
bills providing a government for Ha-
wall, and present expectation is that
the bills will be reported early in Jam
uary.
Judge T. G. Beasely, of Fayette-
vile, Ca, is a representative intelli-
gent Southerner. He is now visiting
Washington, and among other inter
esting things, said: president Nc
Kinley has made himself so solid in
the South, especially in Georgia and
Alabama, that in the event of his re-
nomination in 1900, he will get thous-
ands of Democratic votes IN those
States. His broad,guaged sentiments
and generosity have captured our
people