The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-03-25
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

WAsHINGTON, ID. c., March 2l>t.
MIR. EDIToR:-This week will probably
determine whether Mr.. Mckinley is saga
ciouS enough to retain the undivided SUI
port of Congress in his Spanish policy
1t will all depend upon the action he take,
on the report of the Naval Court OF lnqul
~, which he now has. If he acts prompt
| ly and properly on that report and then
sends the report and statement of what
he has done to Congress- he will be square
ly and unanimously supported by Con
gress to any extent. But if he plays into
Spain hand by making Il weak demand
and delays the matter by keeping the re
port away from Congress, there will be
trouble right away. \ large majority OF
both branches of Congress have made W
their minds that Senator Proctor was
| right when he said that no settlement OF
the Cuban question could possibly be sat
isfactory that left the island under the
Spanish flag, and if Mr.. Mckinley doesn't
Law his policy along that line, he will prob
ably find Congress taking the matter ont
of his hands. He can control the >itua-
ton if he does the right thing; otherwise
not. Much will depend upon his first
move, which should be made this week.
\ statement prepared at the Pension
Office shows that more than $4,000, 600
have been legally paid by pensioners to
pension attorneys during the last seven
years. Just how much the attorneys have
illegally gotten from the pensioners is
more or less uncertain, but there is data
| the illegal exactions more than equal the
| legal fees. 1t is not surprising that the
pension attorneys should he able to main
tain powerful lobby
1t is a relief, in the midst of so much
war talk, to read of the triumpls of peace,
as shown in the greatness and progress of
American industry through its association
with the United States patent system. In
an annual report of thirty pages, Hon. \.
P. Greeley, Acting Commissioner of Pa
tents, has incorporated much valuable and
important information for inventors, pat
entees, manufacturers, capitalists, public
lists. and in fact, for everybody who is in
tere>ted in industrial progress, Of which
the press synopsis that has been published
gives very faint idea. This pamphlet
will be mailed free upon request, by the
commissioner of patents, Washington, DC.
Fool talk is as plentiful in Washington
as fools are everywhere, but it need not
catch anybody who chooses to use Il little
bit of common sense, in analyZing it. For
test is applied, is the story, one of the
latest, that the five great European powers
had united for the purpose of demanding
hat the Government of the United States
should state whether it intended to annex
Cuba. and if so, that it should proclaim Il
tariff policy for all time that would not be
affected by changes of administration.
The absurdty of European nations de-
handing what any bright school child
knows to be impossible under our form of
government-the binding of its successors
by an administration-etfe disposes
of this story, but others equally absurd are
continually started.
Many Senators and Representatives are
sharply criticsing the administration for
cOuntenarcing the presence in Washing
ton Of the three alleged Cuban Commits
sioners, who jointly with the Spanish min
lister form what they are pleased to call,
the reciprocity commission, and who
have actually had the audacty to take the
preliminary steps towards the negotiation
of a reciprocity treaty with Spain, to in
clude Cuba. What adds to the audacity is
the fact that these so called commissioners
are not acting in good faith, are not what
they claim to be, but are engaged in lobby
Cuba, although to do so they have to prac-
tically call liars several United States Sen
ators, Consul General Lee, and every in
telligent newspaper correspondent who
has recently been in Cuba, as all of these
have declared in unmistakablc terms that
autonomy has been from the first flat
failure. 1t is thought by a number of
gentlemen who are familiar with the game
that these agents of Spain are trying TO
play that the administration would be
justifiable in sending them home, but it is
whispered that the administration wants
them just where they are, and that not
withstanding the sentiment of Congress
and of the public in favor of free Cuba,
six members of Mr.. McKinley's Cabinet
favor policy on the part of this govern
ment that will result in the continuation
upon some terms Of the farce of autonomy
in Cuba, and the use of the power of this
government to compel the Cubans to ac-
cept it. This seems too monstrous for be-
lief but it is seriously talked about in
Washington and is given to you for what
it is worth. Personally, your correSpon-
dent does not believe that Mr.. Mckinley
would dare try to carry out such policy,
and is certain, if he did. that Congress
would not allow it to be done under any
circumstances.