The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-06-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., June Goth.

MIR. EDITORIAL last General Skaters
army is in Cuba, and unless somebody at
the Washington end gets ratified over the
reported sailing ola Spanish fleet at C;.dz,
bound in the direction of Cuba, and issues
orders that will prevent, this is likely to
to be a hot week in the vicinity of Santi-
ago. The first fleet of transports is due
at Manila day, and Dewey is not likely
to wait for Gen. Merritt. who is Just about
ready to start from San Francisco with
the third and last fleet Ct trars ,,orts, be
fore taking Manila.
1t is semi officially announced that at
the last Cabinet meeting it was decided
that more troops would be needed. and
that another call for volunteers would be
issued shortly, probably this week. 1t
would seem that more use should be made
of the troops we already have before ask
ing more men to volunteer.
Although Secretary Alger has positively
denied the story that owing to quarrels
between himself and Gen. Miles, who is
virtually deposed from the command of
the army, the talk of friction between them
continues, and even goes so far as to say
that Mr.. Mckinley intends directing the
change of plan by which Gen Miles is to
go to Porto Rico in command of the in
vading army now being prepared for that
expedition is said to have been caused by
this disagreement, and to have been the
proposition of Gen. Miles himself, who
preferred being responsible for one army
over which he would have absolute con-
troll to being held responsible for the
movements of all our troops and being
hampered by civilian control 1t is an
nounced that the invasion of Porto Rico
is to take place before the Spanish fleet
alleged to have sailed from Cadiz can get
to Porto Rico. If the reported starting
of this Spanish fleet results III hurrying up
things little, it will be an almighty good
thing. Similar reports in the past have
resulted in hanging up things.
A democratic caucus of the House is to
be held this week to determine whether
the party shall return TO the old method,
suspended since the civil war, of compell-
ing all participants in a party caucus to
abide by the decision of the caucus
While members of the administration
profess to believe that the insurgents in
the Philippines are acting in accordance
with an agreement made with Admiral
Dewey, it is well known that they are
more or less worried over the news an
nouncing the declaration of an independ
ent government by the Philippine insur
gents. No official will say what are tc be
the relations of Gen. Merritt, who is to
command the army sent to the Philippines
as we'll as be military governor of the is
lands, with the insurgents. 1t begins to
look as though there might be more seri-
Gus trouble in those islands than whipping
the Spaniards who are there. The admin
istration was certainly not expecting the
insurgents to set up an independent gov
eminent when instructions were prepared
for the military government, to be estab
lished by by Gen. Merritt, to collect tariff
duties on importations to the islands.
Although there are about thirty Sena-
tors who are opposed to the adoption of
the Hawaiian annexation resolution, which
went through the House last week by so
large vote that the Gar was compelled
to keep his room, under plea of sickness,
unfinished business of the Senate, it is
not believed, even by themselves, that they
can prevent a vote being reached and the
resolution adopted by the Senate. 1t has
been decided that the opposition should
do all the talking during the debate; also
that Congress should not be allowed to
adjourn until the resolution is voted upon.
This brings it down to a question of the
endurance of the opponents of annexation,
should they decide to fight to the last
ditch; but it is considered likely that they
will allow a vote to be taken in the course
of week or two-one very close Observer
of things legislative is so confident of this
that he has wagercd the cost of an elegant
dinner for eight gentlemen that the vote
will be taken before the 4th of July The
whole power of the administration is being
urged to bring about vote
A larger proportionate number of demo-
Gratis in the Senate will vote for the reso
II, 4ha ,-ntoI
for it, and few who favored annexation
refrained from voting in Difference to the
large party majority against it. In the
House the populists divided evenly on the
question, and there is about the same
division among the populist Senators, al
though Senator Butler, of North Carolina,
and Pettigrew, of South Dakota, are
among the leaders of the opposition to an
neXation.
The resolution rendering the thanks of
Congress to Lieut.. Hobson and the voun-
teer crew of the Merrimac, and authoriz-
ing the President to advance Hobson to
the rank of lieutenant commander, offered
in the Senate by Senator Morgan and in
the House by Representative Underwood,
will be promptly adopted by Congress.
There has been hitch in the exchange of
Hobson and his men, but officials are CON
tident that the exchange will shortly be
accomplished, as it has been officially
stated at Madrid that the Spanish govern
ment had authorized Gen. Blanco to make
the exchange.
SUMMER OUTINGS.
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