Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-08-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, August y. 1898.


Let Admiral Dewey dictate our policy
towards the Philippine islands" That ia
the sum and substance of the advice that
some of his most level-headed friends, who
have observed the fact that Dewev has
not made single mistake from the day he
destroyed the Spanish feet to the day he
forced the surrender of Manila, have been
giving Mr.. Mckinley, who apparently is
still without policy of his own. 1t has
been urged upon him that Dewey during
the nearly four months he has been in
Manila bay, has thoroughly familiarized
himself with the conditions on the islands
and would be better able than any man
who is not there, to- say what relations we
ought to maintain towards them. 1t has
also been pointed out 10 him that the
public confidence in Dewey's judgment
End patriotism would cause his decision to
be received without question by the peo-
pie. All of these things Mr.. Mckinley has
acknowledged, and he would doubtless be
glad to adopt and act upon the advice
were it not that some of his political adj
visers have aroused his jealousy OF
Admiral Dewey as possible rival in 1900,
and told him that Dewey must be kept In
the background il he wanted to keep him
out OF the w lite House.
Not satisfied with reducing the salary Of
a man who at one time considered compe
tent to fill the position Of Chief Clerk, the
Civil Service Commission has dismissed
the man for criticism of his superiors in
| Office-an awful crime, in the minds of his
superiors The afo -esaid criticism con-
sisted of an answer made by the Clerk-E
D Bailey-t0 public defamation Of him.
self by the Commission. The Commission
has never forgiven Bailey for having ex-
posed some OF its humbuggery when a
witness before a Senate Committee, and
has probably wasted much time, highly
paid for by the peoples money. in schem-
ing how to humble him, or push him out
of Office, without seeming to be actuated
by any other desire than the good of the
service, only to make fizzle OF 1t at last.
Bailey may have deserved dismissal many
think the whole civil service outfit does
but he should have been given a proper
cause for his discharge, and it should have
been so entered on the record.
Gen. Blanc0 is showing disposition to
take advantage of the published disinclina-
ton of the administration to send an
army of occupation to Cuba before cool
weather, to carry things with high hand
at Havana, and TO prejudice the rabble
against the u S Blanco's intention to
make future trouble for us is so plain that
it is worrying the administration no little,
and demands that Blanco be peremptorily
called down are reaching Mr.. Mckinley
from all sections of the country.
/ That there is no limit to Spanish gall
was shown by the unofficial objection
made by the government of Spain to the
selection of Senator Davis, of Mimi,
Chairman of the Senate Committee on
foreign relations, to be one of the Ameri-
can Peace Commissioners, because his anti
Spanish views were too strong and too
well known. Were such an objection
held to be valid, Mr. Mckinley would
have to choose for Peace Commissioner
such men as Senator Wellington, of Md,
and Senator Hale of Me. about the only
two Senators who made their friendliness
towards Spain conspicuous during the
debate which preceded the war. 1t will
be all up with Mr. Mckinley if every one
of the five Peace Commissioners chosen by
him, are not known to be strongly anti
Spanish in their views. Already there has
been some criticism of the selection of
Secretary Day, for that very reason, but it
has remained within bounds because it is
known that Mr.. Dav will sdvance the
opinions of Mr.. Mckinley. and not his
own, when the Peace Commission meets
Another exhibition of Spanish gall, which
was probably put out for feeler, was the
attempt of Sagasta to appear to take it for
granted that the Spanish Ambassador at
Paris would be the presiding officer at the
hberstions of the Peace Commission
His talk merely caused smile in Wash
iDgton. As the victorious power, the u s
has the right, not only to name the pre-
siding officer, if such be needed, but to
insist that its Commissioners take pre-
cedence in every way over those of Spain,
and Mr.. Mckinley is not likely to waive
those rights; he knows too well how such
waivers would be received in this country
Already there is growing impression that
| we have been entirely too lenient in all our
dealings with the Spaniards, and the peo-
pie are apt to call speedy halt before the
thing goes much further.