Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-03-17
WASHINGTON TffIR
Al INTERESTING SUMMARY OF TIE
POLITICAL DRIFT AT THE
NATIONAL CArITAL

people on the Spanish question.
Congress has been all right all the
time; it has only been waiting for
Mr.. Mckinley to indicate what he
wanted. This week he broke ST.
lence, and the result was that in 48
hours bill sppropriating s5O,00o,-
600, to be expended at his discre-
ton, had been unanimously passed
by the house and senate aud car
ried to him for his signature. It
does not matter whether twas the
request of Spain for Fitz Lees re-
call, which was SO promptly refused
by Mr. Mckinley, or the certainty
that the Court of Inquiry will re-
port that the Maine was blown up
from the outside, that has aroused
the administration to the necessity
of preparing to lick Spain. 1t is
enough to know that it has been
aroused, and that it is now push
ing war preparations in dead earn
est. Having given him all the
money that will be needed before
the actual fighting begins and left
him entirely uuhampered as to
how it shall be spent Congress
Is proceeding with its routine bus
mess, and holding itself ready for
any further action that may be
considered necessary. The only
thing to be regretted is that Nc
Kinley had not asked for this
appropriation month or two ago.
A month ago fighting ships might
have been purchased in Europe
that cannot now be had, owing to
European war clouds and others
reasons. We have got navy
enough, however, even if the naval
officer sent to Europe doesn't buy
single vessel, to licA. an, thing
and everything that fys the
Spanish flag, as will be-proven in
short order after the shooting
starts.
The National Association of
Democratic Clubs, which has
made arrangements to celebrate
the l55th birthday anniversary of
Thomas Jefferson, by a subscrip-
ton dinner, on Wednesday, April
Is, at which Hon. William J.Bryan
and Senator Jones, of Ark, chair
man of the democratic national
committee, will be guests Of honor,
has issued a circular letter urging
all democratic clubs to celebrate
in some way by joining with the
national association Gin a common
homage to the memory Of the great
apostle of American liberty, the
author of.the declaration of indie
pendence, and the founder If the
democratic party, and in a resh
expression of our, unalterable de-
termination to preserve the herit-
age of freedom as it came to us
from our forefathezs, and to resist
by every lawful means in our
power the encroaehmehts of Or
ganized wealth and monopoly upon
the constitutional rights of the
people,
Senator Allen offered a resolu.
ton this week, which the senate
adopted, calling on the Attorney
General to inform the senate how
many writs of injunction were
granted during l897-'98 by the
U. S. courts, against labor leaders
and labor organizations, and tc
furnish it with certified copies Of
such writs, the af6davits upor
which application for than were
made, and Of other papers connect.
ed with them.
| Unless Mr.. Mckinley takes E
notion to veto the bill appropriate
ing S288,000 to reimburse the pub
fishing house of the Southern
Methodist church for war damage
to its property, which was this
week passed by the senate, the
Methodist brethren will soon ge
the money.
There may have been worse VIC
lations of the canons of good taste