The St. Johns herald., 1898-08-27
Some News Notes From tae Na-
 GionaI Capital.

Some News Notes From the Na-
 SiOnRI Capital.
 From Our Regular Correspondent
 WASHINGTON, Aug. I5, 1898.
 Mir. Mckinley is still in doubt as to the policy we should pursue towards the Philippines. It was that doubt that caused the temporary peace reement, signed by representatives of the two governments, to provide that the Com missioners to negotiate the treaty of peace, which shall determine the final disposition of the Philippines should meet at Paris, not later than Oct. l, when it would have been easy to have saved a month by having the Commis- ion meet September l. The Spanish government has been quick to recognize this doubt on the part of MT. Mckinley, and to act upon lr; it has issued state ment to the Spanish people saying that they had reason to believe the peace commission would allow Spain to retain the Philippines. What the policy of the administration is to be towards the Phil ippines will be plainer after MT. McKin- ley names the five American peace com missioners. The only one yet known is Secretary Day, who may be considered as MT. McKinley's mouth-piece and per- sonal representative. It is daily becom ing plainer that great mistake was made in allowing Spain to have any say as to the disposition of the Philippines. While there are differences of opinion among our people, as to our keeping the islands, the opinion is practically unan- fmous that Spain should not De allowed 10 retain them. Ii will be farcical for Us to talk about driving Spain out of Cuba and Porto Rico for the sake of humanity, and then to allow Spain 10 keep the Phil ippinea after they Were practically ia our We should not confne our humanity to the Cubans, else foreigners will refuse to believe that Ii is human ity.
 The government is preparing to send food to Cuba, not only for the insurgents, but for all that need it, including the Spanish soldiers, but the Red Cross Society is ahead of the government as it is already distributing food and other relief in Cuba.
 If the democrats do not elect major ity of the House, this year, it will not be the fault of the democratic Congress- ional Campaign Committee, which is for & vigorous campaign with confident expectations of success. While ] the Committee will, as usual, furnish the candidates with the kind of literat- ure they think will be most effective in their districts, it will also distribute literature criticising the war revenue law, because of its being harder upon the poor than upon the rich; showing up some of the many evils resulting from Secretary Alger's using the War Depart ment as republican partisan machine, and the financial question will not be but will be discussed in ac- cordance with the Chicago platform Democrats who have visited the Com mittee headquarters, without exception. regard the close of the war at this time as decidedly advantageous for the demo- cratic party, because it will enable them to bring other questions to the attention of the voters and because it will prevent the other side going into the campaign with false plea that vote against republican candidate would be vote against the conduct of the war. It has not yet been determined whether the sh0uld be attacked for it's action in giving Spain too much -o --. ------e-- ...u oo Jurmt commissions provided for in the terms of peace, when it could just as easily have settled every thing in the terms themselves, which Spain would have been bound to accept although such action is being
  advocated
 There is some very strong talk among the Senators and Representatives, who have been in Washington since Sampson was advanced eight numbers and pro- noted to be Rear Admiral, while Schley, who was also promoted to be Rear Admiral, was only advanced six nun. bers, which makes Sampson one number ahead of him, instead of one number be- hind him as he was before these pro- motions were made. While it is not regarded as likely that any attempt will be made to hang up Sampson's promo ton in the Senate, it is almost certain that occasion will be taken in both House and Senate, to show that he owes it more to favoritism than to anything he did. It will not be surprising, either, should the resolution offered by Repre- sentative Berry, extending the thanks of Congress to Schley for destroying Cervera's fleet, be adopted.
 It is stated at the War Department that no fronpe will lao ,ifGchor,.nT urIii