The Opelousas courier., 1898-12-31
Washington, DC, News.
From ulir Regular Correspondent.
Washington, Dec. 2G, 1898.

A~ ~ N'> ol'at
the country shall be thoroughly ac-
quainted with the enormous and
permanent taxation which those
who are behind the scheme are try
ing to put upon the people. The
report of the minority of the House
Committee Oh Military affairs, sign
cd by every democratic member of
the committee, has been filed with
the Clerk of the IIousp-owing to
the railroading Of the Hull bill
through the Committee and rcpor-
ing it to the House before the holi-
day recess, they had to prepare it
after Congress aljourncd-and it
is an interesting document. 1t
points out that while an army of 100,
900 men would be a menace to our
liberties in time of peace, it would
be two weak to cope with. any first
class power in war that the cost
of the Hull bill would be about
150,OOo,0O year, which added to
our Pension payments would bring
onr, Military expenditure up to
nearly 3O0, DOC, O0O-more than is
paid by any n Of those great
European nations which keep their
armies practically on a wal footing
all the time. Here is clause Of
the report, especially deserving
consideration at is well under
stood that the great corporate in
terests OF the country demand this
large army TOR obvious reasons. A
President with such a force be-
hind him, could invade our liberties
suppress freedom Of speech, and
even desecrate the ballot itself"
The democrats on the committee
accompany their report with a bill,
with which they will put the House
on record, by Offering it as a substi-
tute for the Hull bill. 1t provides
for a regular army of thirty thous-
and men, and for the enlistment,
for not moro than two years, of 90
600 volunteers, for service in the
new possessions of the United
States and in Cuba. There is no
reason, at this time, to believe that
we will have any actual need for
ali army of more than 10000 men
two years hence, as the islands
which we are now compelled to
garrison are likely to be either
governing themselves by that time,
Drowned by some other government.
Professor Blair, of North Caro-
lima, who is in Washington, said
''.Tl,e purpose of the North Caro-
linians to follow the example of
Mississippi, South Carolina and
Louisiana, and accomplish the
partial Acknowledgement of the ne
groes, is worthy and commendablc
Of all supporters of the institutions
OF this country. 1t IS quite in line
with the most advanced idea of the
Mckinley administration, represen-
ted by Senator Cullom's Hawaiian
Commission, which, by the way,
has modelled a splendidplan for the
disfranchisement OF the North Car
DINA negroes, without intentionally
such thing. The bill he has
reported, DISTINGUISHING tho natives
Of the Hawaiian islands, lsa very
good one, in that the natives of the is
lands are not fit to governan Ameri-
can territory. Ifthis is true in Haw-
aiian it is doub'y true in North Caro-
ina"
Gen. Miles badly frightened a
number of persons, and some of
hem hold U. S. Commissions,
When he said he was making a per
,onal Investigation into the sending
# "embalmed" beef to Il soldiers
n Cuba and Porto Rico. An in
|estigation-a real investigations
s about the last thing anybody
connected with that "embalmed7
,eef wants to see, because, in the
irit place, it would show that those
Ugh in authority agreed to making
n experiment that endangered the
lealth and lives of thousands of
oldiers for no more apparent rea-
than that it would be very
for those who sold the
government the "embalmeG" beef.
Senator Gray, the only democra-
ic member Of the Peace Commits
ion, which has just returned from
'aris, bringing the official copy of
he Treaty Of Peace, expressed
leasure to learn that democratic {
senator's generally had accepted
Bryan's idea, that the question
f expansion was not III any way
lvolved in the treaty, and that
onsequently there would be no
arty opposition to the ratification
f the treaty. Failure to ratify the !
realty might cause international !
Implications, while it's ratification 8
ill clear tho deck for a domestic t
ontest, as to whether we shall {
eep the Philippines, give them :,
leir independence or dispose of |
lem to some other country. t
enator Gray declined to express S
n opinion on this matter, further ,
ian to say that he was a democrat, !
'hich probably means that he will /
.pose our keeping the Philippines. 8 6
There is .one thing connected !
18th the treaty of Peace that may a
,rce an extra session Of the next c
Congress-. That is the 100000, 9
'hich we have got to pay Spain.