Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1898-04-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.

or rlcn ana poor, as we'll as from tne
public buildings, and, if they could be
accepted, about half of the residents
of the city who are eligible for mill
tary service would gladly enlist for
the war Daughters of prominent men
are offering their services as hospital
nurses. In congress there are no
longer war men and peace men; all
are for strengthening the arm of the
government in order that Spain may
be taught useful lesson as speedily
as possible.
Xxx
Secretary Alger is the proud pos
SCISSOR of the pen with which Presi-
dent Mckinley signed the interven-
ton resolution and he considers it
priceless relic to be handed down to
his descendants.
*
While the patriotism of our people
as whole has never been surpassed
at any time in our history, army and
navy officials charged with the pur-
chase of war supplies and vessels for
the government have found few in
dividuals, who instead of sharing in
the prevalent patriotism, have cody
and deliberately tried to take adj
vantage of the pressing needs of the
government by asking extortionate
prices. In some cases these men
were acting as agents, but in others
they were principale, As rule no
purchases have been made of these
would be robbers, but in several in
stances where the need could not be
in time met elsewhere, the extortion
was agreed TO under protest. No
names have been mentioned in this
connection by government officials,
but it would be nothing but justice to
publish the name of every man or
firm that tried to gouge the country.
Their fellow citizens should be al
lowed to know them for what they
are, instead of going on believing
them what they pretend to be.
Xxx
Gen. Grosvenor, in speech pro-
testing against the construction that
certain newspapers had put upon
words recently used by him-"This
war will be fought under the banner
of the Republican administration of
this government, or not at all'-stated
that. he meant the words to mean just
what they said, and not that the con-
duct of the war was to be made
partisan question. He concluded as
follows, amid the enthusiastic ap-
plause of the house and the crowded
galleries: II believe this war will be
theoretically waged both in military
sense and the legislation necessary to
carry it on, and will be no political
division. It will come from the Dem
ocrats, Populists, as we'll as from Re-
publicans, and especially do I believe
the response to patriotism will come
from every southern state, and that
the whole Union will share the tri-
umphat echo of loyalty"
Xxx
It has b cen decided that this gov
eminent will not issue any letters of
marque and reprisal, nor in any way |
countenance privateering. If Spain |
chooses to allow privateering she can
do SO, provided the European powers
the commerce of which would be in
terferred with thereby, do not forbid |
it.
~
A notable phase of the situation, in
Washington, is the number and the
heartiness of expressions of good will
toward Englishmen. It has been
known of course from the beginning
that the sentiment of England was
the same as that of the United States
in regard to the need of putting an
end to Spanish butchery and starva-
ton or innocent on-combatants in
Cuba, and officials have known that
the English government has stood
like wall of granite in front of every
proposal made by the three European
governments that are favorable to
Spain as far as they dare be to COM
bine the European powers for the
purpose of forcibly interfering in be-
half ofSpain, or of threatening to do
so, and believed that it was only that