The Press., 1898-05-05
washington Letter.
washington. May 3, 1888.

washington May y, 1875.
The organization of the volunteer army
is being pushed as rapidly as possible, in
order that the men may be gotten into
camps of instruction and seasoned for
campaign in the field. Some of its officers
have already been selected, and the re-
mainder will be announced in few days.
1t is definitely settled that the command
of the first section of the army of Cuban
invasion will be given to Brig. Gen. Shat
ter, of the regular army, who has been
selected for one of the volunteer major
generals.
Congress will probably at once pass the
bill authorizing the enlistment of about
Is, 900 men for immediate service in Cuba
who have had the yellow fever, it having
been stated to the president that it would
be an easy matter to secure such men in
the extreme south. These enlistments
will be in addition to the $4,000 first
called for by the president.
Every day the president Is compelled to
decline offers Of regiments Of men, because
he has no authority to accept them, the
states having chosen to furnish their quota
of volunteers from their national guard,
and in nearly every case having protested
because their quota was not large enough.
Penn. sent word that it would gladly have
furnished the entire $4,000. Should
there be second call, which at this time
looks very doubtful, some of the regiments
which have been offered will be given
chance for service.
In addition to the share of the $4,000,
900 recently appropriated by congress al
lotted to the war department, Secretary
Alger has been compelled to ask congress
to appropriate more than $34, 100000 to
meet war expenses of that department
during the two months remaining of the
present fiscal year. The money will be
promptly voted. 1t appears that Repre-
sentative Dingley was speaking by the
card when he said the other day that the
war expenditures had exceeded 1875, 600, 900
month since March /, and would go
much higher shortly.
The long list of nominations to civil
offices sent to the senate by the president
furnish evidence enough that everybody
has not got the war fever, and other
evidence is found in the civil departments
of the government, where patents and pen
sions are issued with the usual regularity
and other business is attended to just as
usual, and will continue to be. The fact
of the matter is that this country is too
big to allow it's ordinary business to be-
come disarranged by little thing like a
war with Spain. A few men will fight,
fewer will gain fame and glory, but about
seventy millions of us will go right along
attending to our every day affairs, with a
little shouting on the side as news of
victories come in.
The wiping out of political lines in con-
gress was not permanent. When 1t was
only question of voting money already
in the treasury to enable the country to
prepare for war, of declaration of war,
party lines were 06literated, but as soon
as it became necessary for congress to pro-
vide the money to fight the war party lines
lwere again very much in evidence. The
democrats of the house with eight excep,
lions, and all Of the populists voted against
the war revenue bill because it provided
for the issue of bonds, but as all the re
publicans, except two, and six democrats
voted for the bill it was passed by a. vote
of 181 to 131. The bill will be taken VI
by the senate this week. The bond pro
vision will be fought by the popnlists, thu
silver republicans, and majority of the
democrats, but a sufficient number O.
democrats have announced their intention
to vote with the republicans to make tht
passage of the bill certainty, and the
discussion may be savage and partisan
in it's nature. Some OF the silver meI
have the idea that there is trick In tht
bond authorization, because it is so large
5000, 900, 000-but the administration
men declare their only object is to make
sure that the government shall not at any
time be hampered in its conduct of war
and that all Of the bonds authorized vii
not be issued unless the money shall b.
needed.
War department officials do not like tn
manner in which military news has leaket
from that department and movements beel
published about as soon as they had beef
determined upon. So new rule absolu
tely prohibiting information being givel
by any official has been adopted, and pry
ing eyes are to be kept at distance b.
denying admittance to newspaper men AM
other outsiders and to any of the offices 0
the department.
She Married Him.