The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-02-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
from Our Regular Correspond ent.l
WASHINGTON, D. O., February 18, 1898

1t is difficult to realize that the awful
story of the blowing up and sinking, in
Havana harbor, of the U. s. battleship
Maine, and the drowning like rats in a
sewer Of two hundred and fifty of her
brave crew, which has cast a pail of
gloom over Washington and the country,
is not a horrible nightmare. But, alas,
it is true, too true. There is but one de.
termination on the part of the President
and the other members of the admins.
tration, and that is, to arrive at the
truth as to the cause Of the catastrophe.
Congress is going ahead with its rou.
tine business, the Senate is discussing
the annexation treaty and appropriation
bills and the House the Bankruptcy bill.
but there is but one object uppermost
in the minds of Senators and Represen-
tatives-the Maine. Public interest has
passed from the apology of Spaine for
the de LONE letter to the Maine. Per.
haps if the treachery of the late Spanish
minister. now on his way home in dis
grace, had not been so fresh in the
minds of the public, there would be less
suspicion that there was Spanish treach.
cry connected with the loss of the Maine
and so many of her crew. The Presi-
dent and members of his Cabinet are
10th to entertain such suspicion in the
absence of direct proof, and are doing
everything possible to cause the public
to suspend it's judgment pending the
investigation now being made for the
purpose of showing whether the explo.
sion which wrecked the Maine was on
the outside or inside of the vessel, and
consequently whether it was caused by
accident or design. President Mckin.
ley as mark of respect and sorrow for
the loss of life by the sinking of the
Maine, abandoned the two official re.
ceptions that were to have been held at
the White House this week; also order
ed flags half masted.
Attorney General Griggs, in his ans.
wer to the Senate resolution asking
whether he had authorized an agree.
ment by which the Kansas Pacific Rail.
road would be sold for $9,654, ,17O less
than the Indebtedness of that road to the
government, and if the government had
agreed not to be bidder at the sale,
said: Answering specifically the ques.
tions contained in the resolution of the
Senate, would say that have not au.
thorized any agreement by which the
property is to be sold for the face value
of the subsidy bonds, nor has the gov
ernment agreed not to be bidder at
the sale. The only agreement made was
to discontinue the motion made for post.
: ponement, redemption and the appoint.
ment of receiver, upon the guarantee
that the minimum bid by the reorgani.
zation committee should be the priuci.
pal of the government debt. The prop.
erty will be sold at public sale by open
competition to such party as may offer
the highest bid, subject only to the stip.
ulation obtained in open court, that the
minimum bid will be Sc, 900, instead
of So, 100000, as formerly fixed by the
court" There being only one bidder
the road was sold for the minimum bid.
|, Mr.. w. Livingston, editor of the De
troit Journal, who is now in Washing.
] ton, laughs at the Democratic claims
, concerning his State. He said: "The
, Republicans will not lose single Con
gressional district in the State. would
claim that free silver is an entirely dead
, issue in Michigan, but it is absolutely
, true that the sentiment in it's favor is
much weaker than it was in '96 Oul
people have experienced fair degree
OF prosperity and they are satisfied that
under Republican administration, the
country is infinitely better off than un
der the free trade and free silver Dem
ocracy"
Representative Babcock, of Wis, who
has for the third time been made Chair
man of the Republican Congressional
Campaign Committee, is not a believe
in brag as a political factor. Conse
: quently his opinions upon the politica
outlook, which have so often been just
i fed by the results at the BALLOT box, al
> ways carry great weight. His assertion
: that nothing is required to secure tn
election of Republican majority of tn
next House but hearty and intelligen
cooperation with the Congressional Com
: mittee on the part of the local Republ
= can organizations throughout the cour
U trv. means business, and, as there is n
= reason to doubt that such cooperation
will be freely extended, it also mean
8 the election of Republican majorit
6 of the next House. The practical anna
h gamation OF all the elements that SUI
# ported Bryan, as evidenced by the at
v dresses issued this week by the Nations
| aouoxn;t&ooa Of tho aouorol nartioa 1