Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1898-06-03

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The delay In the departure of the troops
for Manila was not only due to the din.
Guilty Of obtaining transports or the Pa
cific coast, but also to the inability of the
quartermaster, commissary and ordnance
departments to secure the necessary sup.
plies. Those who have complained about
the tardiness Of the Government in re-
enforcing Admiral Dewey should remem-
BIER that these troops are going to Il coun-
try where they can obtain nothing except
tropical food, which would bring them
Town with disease and cause the death Of
many II eaten before they were fully &c
cltmated. 1t was therefore necessary to
provide ut least six months rations for:
2O,OOO men, and a simple calculation will,
demonstrate what that means. The
troops are provided with all the meats,
breads, vegetables, ten, coffee, sugar and.
other groceries, and, in fact, all Of the
necessaries of life. enough to last them
for half a year IL they were cast away,
upon a desert island or beyond the reach
OF re-enforcements. In addition to the
commissary stores required the ordnance
department was called upon to provide all
the arms and ammunition. clothing, tents,
ETC., which 10000 soldiers might need un-
der any contingency for the next six
months. Under ordinary circumstances
supplies purchased for shipment to Ma
nila would have lasted the entire United
States army q year.
There is nc excuse for the advance in
the price Of food products because Of the
war. OF course wheat aud other bread
stufts have advanced in all the markets
Of the world because Of the short crops
IN other countries, but in New York,
Washington and other cities of the East
meats AVE advanced from 2 to 5 cents q
pound and provisions and table vegetables
In a corresponding manner. There is no
scarcity OF either, there is no Interrupt
ton In the trade, the market gardens in
this part of the country never produced
more %abundantly than this spring, and
there Is no unusual demand. The market
men have simply taken advantage of the
wal us an excuse to increase prices and
charge q cents instead of 8 for a head Of
lettuce and 35 cents instead Of % for q
bunch Of asparagus. The butchers say
they are not to blame for the advance in
beef and mutton because they have to
pay more to the wholesalers.
The Iowa delegation contains the prize
orators Of the House of Representatives.
For dramatic effect and impressive clio.
quence nobody can beat Mr.. Cousins; fog
high flights of oratory and scholarly argu-
ment Dolliver Is unsurpassed; in a rough
and tumble debate David b. Henderson is
the equal OF any man upon the floor, and
for satire, vituperation and middleton
Col. Hepburn Is superior to any man who
has been in Congress for years. The Iowa
delegation Is also distinguished because
1t furnished more men for the Union army
than any other State delegation in Con-
gress. Mr.. Clnrk was a private in the
Nineteenth infantry; Col. Henderson lost
a leg. while colonel Of the 4Gth regiment;
Mr.. Lacey wat a lieutenant Of the 33d
Iowa; MI. Hull was q captain Of the 23d.
and Mr.. Hepburn a lieutenant in the I'd
Iowa cavalry, and Mr.. Perkins a private
in the 31st infantry.
The second call issued by President
Mckinley will raise the volunteer army to
100000 men and the whole army to 27O.-
500 men. The army reorganization bin
authorized the increase of the regular
army to G2,OOO men, and in addition to
the 100000 volunteers there will be three
cavalry regiments, with 5000 rough rid
ers from the West; ten infantry regiments
Of immunes. with 10000 men, and $500
In the engineers corps, mixing a grand
total Of 278,5OO men in the United States
army. 1t is the intention to at once send
an army Of from 5000 to 100000 men
to Cuba, since there can be no danger to
the transports from the Spanish fleet bot
tied up in the harbor at Santiago de Cuba.
There will also be q larger army sent to
Manila to hold the Philippine Islands.
There win be no experiments made there.
The prediction Is freely made at the
War Department that within two weeks
there will be 10000 troops ON Cuban soil,
They will land in the east and west Of
Havana, and possibly on the south coast.
in the vicinity Of Cienfuegos. The imme-
date invasion Of Porto Rico is not only
being seriously considered, but is now al
most under way. There are political US
well as military reasons for this stcp.
The administration still looks for a sud-
den collapse Of the war by proposals Of
peace on the part OF Spain, made under
the thin guise Of European intervention.
The administration has determined that
Porto Rico must he one Of the fruits Of
victory, but to bring that about 1t is deem-
cd necessary that the United States
should effect q landing In the island be-
fore the treaty Of peace.
Admiral Sampson Is a religious man.
He is q member Of the Presbyterian
Church of the Covenant in this city. md
the Mems Society. which is u literary
club connected with the church. He was
always regular in his attendance during
the several years that he was stationed
in Washington, and took a great deal Of
interest in philanthropic work. After he
was placed in command of the squadron
the Mems Society sent him a telegram OF
congratulation and confidence, to which
he returned quite a touching answer.