Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-06-04
WASHINGTONLETTER
CERVERA'S SQUADRON
PENNED UP.
President rlcKinIey Re-
views Volunteers.
Government Printing Office
to Get from Under Civil
Service.
(From Our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON. ID. O., May 81, 1895.
President Mckinley and Secretary
Long are satisfied from information
they have received, official and other
wise. that Commodore Schley has the
Spanish feet penRed up in the harbor
at Santiago de Duba, but the invasion
of Cuba will not be ordered until Com
modore Schley has officially reported
that the Spanish fleet is in Santiago
harbor. This report may be made any
hour. II the Spanish fleet is there i;
will be helpless to do Us any harm
and will in the end be absolutely
bound to be captured or destroyed.
Although a portion of the volunteer
army is still unprovided with all need
20, 200 men, about three-fourths regu
lars, ready for emharkation, and they
can all be landed in Cuba within TWEEN
ty-four hours after orders are issued.
AT CAMP ALeER.
President Mckinley left his work
long enough Saturday afternoon to
visit Camp Alker, on the Virginia side
OF the Potomac, near Washington
and reviewed ID 600 of the 10000 vol
unteers now assembled there lack OF
equipments prevented all of the mss
taking part in the review. President
Mckinley expressed himself as high y
pleased with the spirit displayed by the
men.
THE SECOND GALL.
This week each OF the governors will
be officially notified of the number OF
men his state is expected to furnish Cd
the second cal for troops by the Pres.
hurry about enlistinR these rs, 900 meT
In the first place. they will probably
not be needed; they have been called
for more to provide for unexpected
contingencies than because of any
pressing need for them at this time.
and in the next place, there will bt
no equipment for them until after
those already in service have been all
provided for.
MEMORIAL DAY.
The Memorial Day exercises at Ar
lington and other cemeteries in the vi
cinity of Washington were unusually
interesting this year.
is 1T TREAsoN2
What is treason7 This question be
comes of the greatest import lance wLeL
the country is engaged in war. Its q
serious matter to accuse men of being
traitors, but black doesn't become
white because it lent called black. Il
times OF peace il was all right for men
to oppose the annexation OF Hawaii be
cause they did not personally believe
that this country would be benefited
thereby; but, now that the President,
his entire Cabinet, and every officer in
the army and navy whose opinion has
been asked, have declared that the i'm
mediate annexation of Hawaii is d
military necessity. without which our
attempt TO hold the Phi ipine Islands
may be turned into disastrous failure
and all of the fruits Of Dewey's great
victory be lost, it is not all right. On
the contrary, it is all wrong That
free speech may at times become dan
gerous IS shown by the activity of the
sugar trust lobby to prevent Congress
providing for annexation of Hawaii,
Notwithstanding that che administra-
ton, large majority OF Congress. and
an overwhelming majority of people
were strongly in favor of annexation
even before it was declared to have be-
come a military necessity. If this lob
by isn't guilty of treason, it is danger
ously n sar to being guilty. From the
alton to be military necessity ithas
been the patriotic duty OF Congress to
annex, without regard to personal
opinions OF individuals.
@. p. o. CIVIL SERVICE.
Just as soon as President Mckinley
can get the time he will issue an order
in accordance with an elaborate opin-
ion prepared by Attorney General
Griggs, declaring that the Government
Printing Office never was legally un-
der the civil service rules, because il
belongs under the legislative, and not
the executive branch of the govern
ment. The same opinion has operated
to put an end to the movement for the
placing of the Congressional Library
under the civil service rules, because
the Library, like the Government
Printing Office, is a Congressional in
stitution. There are many desirable
places in the q. p. o. now held by the
democrats
Postmaster General Stanton hat
made plans " hich will insure the reg
ular payment of the troops sent to the
PHILIPPINE Islands. Paymasters sup
piled with money enough for three
months Fay accompanied the troops
which have already gone and the same
plan Will Dc followed as OJner LrOOpe are
sent. Only gold and silver will be used
in making these payments.
THE BOND ISSUE.
Senator German exploded a few
bombs in the ranks OF the anti-bonC
silverites in the Senate in patriotic
speech he made in favor of upheldinl
the hands of the government by au
thorizing the issue of bonds, and oppos
ing the issue of either silver certit1
cate or greenbacks After calling at
tention to the fact that no war hac
ever been fought without an issue o
bonds, and expressing the opinion tina
none was ever likely 10 be, MIR GormaI
exploded his heaviest bomb by sayin,
that If the Senate refused to authorize
bonds, the President would be coma
PEELED to issue them, as soon as he wa
bound to have money, under the Law
Of 1871