Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-02-16
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON, February IL, 1888
President Mckinley and the members
or his cabinet naturally decline to
discuss, for publication, the letter
written by Senior de Lone, the Span
ish minister to the United States, in
which the president is insulted, au-
tOnOmy for Cuba referred to as
merely a trick, and the negotiations
for IL reciprocity treaty only an
excuse to stave Off intervention
by the United States in Cuba. The
publication OF the de LONE let
ter has created more of a SEN
satlOn IN Washington than any
thing that has occurred in connection
with the Cuban question. AS usual
the hot-heads in congress wish to
have congress take IL hand in the
business, but the leveI-heAded men in
congress recognize the ability of
President Mckinley to properly deal
with the matter and are perfectly
willing to leave it in his hands. The
matter could not have occurred at a
worse time for the interests of Spain,
as the resolutions and speeches in the
senate by Senators Cannon, of Utah,
and Mason, Of Illinois, and the pro-
posed amendment to the diplomatic
and consular bill, by Senator Allen,
Of Nebraska, all looking to immedi-
ate action by this government either
by a recognition Of Cuban belliger-
ency or Independence or by Interven-
ton, had already brought Cuban
matters to a critical point in the
senate.
1t is creditable to the good sense
and craftsmanship of the members Of
the senate committee on foreign rela-
ti"ns hat they should have been
uumO> ed to, the prevailing exciting
CONDITIONS in Washington and have
acted upon the amendment to the
diplomat a. and consular appropria-
ZION blil, proposed by Sena or Allen,
providing tOr ID recognition OF the
belIlgei ency Of the Cubans, just as
though there were no excite men'.
The committed bv an unanimous o.
decided to make An unfaVOrab Die re-
port upon the amendment, because
they did not believe appropria.
ton bills the proper vehicles for rid
efs bearing upon questions affecting
our foreign relations, d decision that
Will be endorsed by a large ma jority
Of our people. This action would
have been a good thing, no matter
who had proposed the amendment,
but it is a dOubly good thing a. a
rebuke % Senator Allen, who did not
offer the resolution to help the
Cubans, but with the hope that it
might embarrass the administration.
The administration, and not indivi
dual senators or representatives, is
held pOnsiblefOr he foreign policy
Of the government, and the president
who acted upon his personal SYM
pathy, instead of upon his calm
judgment of what was best for the
welfare Of the country, would not be
worthy of his high Office.
1t was not surprising that the
pOstOffice department should have
abolished the absurd rule adopted
under the Cleveland administration,
prohibiting postmasters who owned
neWSpa pers from eating them, AS
soon as its attention was called to it.
There was no more sense in saving
that fourth-class postmasters should
not edit newspapers than there
would have been in saying that they
should not keep stores or do any
thing else.
The house this week unseated Plow
man. Democrat, from Alabama, and
gave the seat to AIdrich, the Populist
contestant, on account OF fraud in
the election. The report of the ma
jority of the election committee in
favor Of Aldrich contained a scorch
ing arraignment Of the Alabama
election law.