Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-03-31
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Cleaned By Telegraph and Mail
PERSONAL AND POLITICAL.

Key West, Fla, on the 22d en- route to
| Washington. taking with him the re-
port of the court of inquiry into the
| Maine disaster. The decision reached
by the court was matter of surmise,
but there was a sentiment prevailing
that the court had been unable to de-
termine definitely the cause of the ex-
plosion
THE cabinet meeting at the white
house on the 22d was devoted exclu-
sively to considering the Spanish stu
alton in general and the forthcoming
report on the Maine disaster in partic-
dlar. 1t was settled that the presi-
dent would examine the report for a
| few days and then send it to congress
along with a message.
A PETITION was presented to Secre-
| tary Long, of the navy department.,
| signed by all the Missouri mem bers of
congress, asking that one of the new
battleships to be built by the gov
eminent should be named the Mis-
souri,. The secretary promised to give
it consideration.
GEN. L. w. COLBY, of Omaha, Neb.,
rendered to President Mckinley %, 900
American volunteers for service in
Cuba in case of intervention bv this
government and the offer has been re-
ferred to the war department. Colby
was several months organizing this
corps and he estimated that it will re-
quire 81, $50, 900 to arm and transport it
| to Cuba, of which about $500, 900 has
been subscribed.
The feeling was universal through
out official circles in Washington on
! the 23d that the elimination of the
| Spanish crisis was near at hand. The
| president held earnest conferences with
| party leaders of congress and there
was exceptional activity towards
emergency preparations in the war and
navy departments.
THE president on the gath named
Judson w. Lyons (colored), of Georgia,
as register of the treasury to succeed
the late Blanche K. Bruce.
CERTAIN conservative senators at
Washington, whose purpose it is to
stave off a Cuban crisis, have pre-
| sented a new plan to the president.
They propose that this government
shall do no more at first than to feed
the starving. An appropriation of
$3.50, 900 is mentioned as the beginning
| for this kind of Intervention. The
sum of $4,000 is talked of as likely
to be needed before the reconcentra-
dos in Cuba could be restored to their
homes and made self-supporting.
| CAPT. SAMPSON, of the Iowa, and also
Of the inquiry board, has been ordered
to command the North Atlantic fleet.
relieving Adm. Sicard, who is i'll.
PRESIDENT MCKINLEY, in conference
with some of the house cong ressional
leaders on the Gath, stated emphatical-
~ that he would avert war if possible
| &c no he Il
DO So
The Madrid Impartial on the 25th
said: 1.-The United States was brutally
forcing Spain into conflict. To send
the Maine report to congress is equiva-
lent to throwing a torch into a barrel
Of gunpowder."
JAMES pawn, an eminent English
novelist and journalist, recently died
in London, aged 90 years. He wrote
100 novels, besides editing Chambers
| Journal and other magazines.
EX-SENATOR BLACKBURN, of Ken
lucky, suffered a stroke of paralysis of
the heart at Washington on the 25th.
He had been to Newport News to at
tend the launching of the battleships
the previous day and had arrived in
Washington and was walking from
| the boat to his carriage when he sud
denly became unconscious. Later he
| regained consciousness and his recov-
cry was predicted.
| NAL GEN. MILES, in discussing the
! American-Spanish situation, said that
the personnel of the United States
army was never in a finer condition
than it is to-day and man for man, it
was more than a match for any Euro
pean power as regarded personnel.
equipments, discipline and patriotism,
and we had practically the entire able
bodied American male population to
draw upon to support the regulars, if
| necessary.
THE Spanish report of the board of
inquiry into the cause of the wreck of
the Maine, according to Madrid dis
patch of the 25th, states that it is
scientifically and practically demon
straued that the explosion was inter
nal"
MRS. JANE WINCHESTER, widow of the
founder of the Winchester Repeating
Arms company. died at New Haven,
Conn, aged 81 years. Her estate was
estimated to be worth $40, 900, O00
COMMODORE SCHLEY, at present con-
nected with the lighthouse board at
Washington. has been ordered to COM
mand the flying squadron at Hampton
roads. with the brooklyn as his flag
ship
PRESIDENT MCKINLEY and his cabi-
net held two extended sessions on the
25th and considered the report of the
court of inquiry into the Maine disas-
ter in detail. The findings of the
court were that the battleship was
wrecked by an outside explosion, due
to submarine mine, the court being
unable to fix the responsibility. Min
lister Woodford, at Madrid. was cabled
, to notify the Spanish government OF