The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-03-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March 81, 1sl

ton than President Mckinley, al
though his is the greatest individual
responsibility in deciding what action
shall be taken upon the report of the
Naval Court of Inquiry. That report
will probably be received in day or
two, certainly this week. Opinion
differs as to whether the report will be
at once sent to Congress and made
public. Senator Chandler, whose
relations with the President are
such that his opinion is as good as
that of any other man, said; ut is
barely possible that the char
acter of the document may be such as
to render it inexpedient to give it
out until Congress can gradually be
made aware of its contents. If, for in
stance, it indicates beyond doubt the
official culpability of the Spaniards in
connection with the Maine disaster, it
would not be wise, TO place Congress
in immediate possession of the facts
officially, for fear that war would be
declared instantaneOuSly, and with
out due regard for all the conditions
One thing is certain, Congress and
the public will have the report at the
earliest moment it can be given out
without detriment to public interest.
Another certainty is, that President
Mckinley will not allow himself to be
influenced by any of the numerous
stories as to what European nations
may think that he should do, but will
act solely in the interest of the ma
tional honor of the U. S., without re-
gard to the probable approval or dis
approval of his action by any Euro
pean power or powers. The Maine
was our ship, the Court that made the
investigation and report was COM
posed of our Naval officers, and it is
our affair to take what action we
please upon that report, and we are
going to do it. This isn't spreadeagle-
ism, but plain everyday patriotism,
which is shared by every American
whose heart is in the right place.
Congress and the country will be
furnished an itemized statement
showing every cent expended from
that special $50, 600, 900 emergency APP
preparation, President Mckinley hay
ing directed the preparation of spec
ial form of requisition for these funds
which must be signed by the Presi-
dent himself before they can be hon
Ored, and the opening of a special
emergency account in the books of
the Treasury.
The gun-shop in the Washington
Navy Yard reminds Oldtimers of the
war time activity in the same yard,
but upon a different class of work.
During the war this was strictly a
Navy Yard; now it is only a Navy
Yard in name, its principal work be-
ing the making of guns-some of the
finest in the world have been and are
being made here mountings and
ammunition for the Navy. Not a
minute is now being lost in the Yard,
one of three elght-hour shifts of men
being continuously at work.
BY far the ablest and most interest
ing paper the government has recent
ly published is the report for 1897 of
Hon. a. p. Greeley, Acting Commits
siOner of Patents. A synopsis has
been printed in some of the newspa-
pers, but, owing perhaps to so much
war news, it was so incomplete as to
give very little idea of what this valu-
able document, which will doubtless
be translated and read by thousands
abroad, contains; it must be read as
whole to be appreciated. Inventors,
patentees, manufacturers, capitalists,
and publicists, who wish to understand
the greatness of American industry
and how indissOlubly it is associated
with the patent system of the T. S.,
read this pamphlet, which may be OBJ
tanned free by addressing q request
for it to the Commissioner of Patents,
Washington, ID. G.
The three Commissioners appointed
by the Cuban Cabinet to act with the
Spanish Minister in negotiating rec
iprOcity treaty with this country
were presented to Secretary Sherman |
to-day, by the Spanish minister, and |
later they called on Hon. J. A. Kasson, |
who has charge OF the interests of this |
cOuntryin all reciprocity negotiations. |
They expressed an anxiety to proceed |
at once with the treaty, but it is not |,
probable that any material progress |
will be made until it becomes a little |
clearer that it will be worth while to |
make such a treaty. If We are to |
have war with Spain, there will be no |
such treaty negotiated, and if we rec |
OgniZe the independence of Cuba we
Spain has nothing more to do with !
Cuba. These Commissioners may be |
entirely honest in their intentions, but /!
tlAS oNilIillll0tl iNlOll IlStS tlOu lOISOblcl :
Senior de Lome's advice that these /
be pressed as a blind,
nor the statement made on the floor |
of the Senate few days ago by SEN |
ator Proctor, showing the weakness
in Cuba of the so-called government |
that these commissioners represent. |
In plain English, these Commissioners /
are being treated with every courtesy |
= 1, l.
any sand in your Uncle Sans eyes.