Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-06-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, Jnne 18th, 1898
lsPEoIAL coRREsPo.pEEeE OF TRE M

are having the most 10 say aOOut the
delay in getting Gen. Skaters army
to Santiago would have led the harsh
criticism had the army met with any
mishap on account of being moved
before everything was ready, and that
the delay had been necessary and IN
avoidable, President Mckinley is tax
ing matters as coolly as the broiling
spell of weather now upon Washing
ton will allow him. He knows that
no time has been wasted, and that
none will be; that Skaters army is
out for business, and that results are
going TO follow its landing in Cuba.
The administration is not to blame
because newspaper men who were not
informed of the real causes of delay
printed their gueeses, that the troops
were held back because of rumors of
the presence of an alleged new and
dangerous Spanish feet in Cuban
waters, etc, as facts; censorship of
news relating to Important move
ments would be useless if the Govern
ment contradicted all the rumors
started. Admiral Sampson has landed
a force of marines in Cuba, at Guam
tanamo harbor, which will be held as
a base of naval supplies. 49,
Generals Coppinger and Lee, who
are to command the army that is
going to Porto Rico, have been sent
orders to get their command into con-
ditiOn for embarking at the earliest
possible moment, which is taken to
mean that the movement against
Porto Rico is not to be postponed
until the movement against Santiago
is successful, but is to go ahead indie
pendently as soon as ready. Secre-
tary Alger says that in ten days time
every man in the army will be fully
equipped for war.
The Navy Department has published
Admiral SIMPSONS official report of
Lieut.. Hobson's daring feat-the
sinking of the Merrimac-and it is
Just as enthusiastic as were the news
paper descriptions and is calculated
to make every American proud to be
a citizen of the country that produces
such men.
Senator Butler of N. c., chairman
of the Popul1st National Committee,
formally read Senator Kyle out Of the
Populist party because he voted for
the war revenue bill. The reading
out process did not appear to worry
Senator Kyle, who stated that he was
responsible to his conscience and his
constituents, and not to Butler for his
official actions. Mr.. Kyle disposed of
some statements concerning him made
by Senator Pettigrew by denouncing
them as ''intentional and malicious
falsehOods."
The House is now engaged in de-
batting the Hawaiian annexation res
olution under an agreement to vote
upon il Wednesday afternoon. It's
adoption by more than a two thirds
vote is certain. Speaker Reeds course
since this matter has been under dis
cussion has been greatly misrepre-
scented. He is personally opposed to
annexation, but his prompt decision
when a point of order was raised
against Gen. Grosvenor's motion to
'sproceed to public business"-made
in the House for the first time in Is
years-in favor of Gen. Grosvenor,
knowing that the motion was made to
get the annexation resolution before
the House, was proof enough of the
falsity of the stories about his resort
ing to all sorts of parliame ntary tao
tics to prevent the House getting an
opportunity to vote on annexation.
Two weeks ago Speaker Reed stated
his position to Chairman Hit and
other members of the committee on
Foreign Affairs when they went to
him for a special rule from the Com
mittee on Rules. He said to them:
tMy advice personally is to postpone
consideration of this question until
next session. I frequently think I
while as often the Republican party
is wiser than / am. You gentlemen
must take the consequences" The
only trouble with the Speaker in this
case has been that his judgment is
against that of 95 per cent of the Re-
publican party and probably major
ity of all other parties.
There is no buncomb about Presi-
dent McKinley's good will towards
the ex-Confederates, or he never
would have nominated T. Z. Rosser
of Virginia, to be brigadier general.
Rosser got lot of newspaper noto-
riety several yearsJago by making a
crack Drained speech announcing
himself to be sn unconstructed rebel,