Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-07-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
I ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS.

w lcll lA\NlNAN IILl Llls
SPECIAL CoRRESPoNpRNCE.
\ DREAM WHICH MAY COME
trRUE-Talk here increases concern-
ing the future government of Hawai-
under annexation. The Newlands reso'
lutions provide that; Until Congress
shall provide for the government OF
such islands all the civil, judicial and
military powers exercised by the otli-
GERS of the existing government in said
islands shall be exercised in such man
Eer as the President of the United States
shall direct; and the president shall
shall haSe power to remove said otli-
GERS and fill the vacancies so occa-
stoned" Under this authority II is eX-
pected that the president in case OF an
neXation. will at once appoint MIR. Dole
the governor of the islands and author
national and municipal, to continue its
functions for a while. Changes in the
government of the islands would not
come until after the report of Il special
commission, which the Newlands reso-
lutions provide for. The Post makes
this interesting remark in its news col
umns: There is u belief that great pres
sure will be brought to bear immediate
ly to admit the islands as state of the
union" Again. IL says that Representa-
tive Mcguire of California said yes
terday he should propose at once that
the islands be admitted as a full state,
and that they be allowed one representa-
tive and two senators in Congress"
And the Washington Post is not op-
posed to annexation. The dream of q
presidential election turning on Il dis
ruted count in Honolulu may yet be
realized.
POORLY DISGUISED DISPLEAS-
URE-Republican displcasure with
Speaker Reed because of his opposition
to the republican policy of map-paint-
ing is being poorly disguised. a new
York party organ hints at his early po-
litical extinction by saying: How this
displeasure may affect his political flu
ture is another question Even the
Cumberlan (Me.) republican county com
vention, which is in Mr.. Reeds congress
sional district, at its meeting in Port
land recently eulogized Mckinley and
spoke with no uncertain sound for EN-
pire," yet its silence regarding the fla =
vorite and colossal son of Cumberland
county was as impressive as that Of
Katahdin at the midnight hour. 1t is
singular that the three greatest states
men Maine has produced should finally
after years of brilliant service and lead
'ership, have found themselves at odds
with their party on an important ma
tional issue. William Pitt Fessenden
was utterly cast out of the republican
party because he refused to vote for the
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson.
James c. Blaine's last days We're con-
spicuous for their hostility to the fanati-
cism of fin de steele protec tionism; and
now Mr.. Reed finds himself isolated on
the question of Imperialism. Both Fes-
sender and Blaine have been Vindicated
by the lapse of time. There is little
doubt that the vindication Of Mr.. Reed
will be equally complete.
PLENTY OF OFFICERS-Up to the
present time President Mckinley has
appointed Is major generals and 81
brigadiers, making total of 72 general
officers available for the troops to be
mustered under the first call. No doubt
additional generals will continue to be
appointed, but the number will no
where near approach the long roll ap-
pointed at the outbreak of the war of
. l. nil bar al ri
no less than "A major generals and 216
brigadiers on the rolls, which was far
more than there was any use for. Presi-
dent Lincoln recognized this mistake
before anybody else. but he conso!ed
himself by joking about 1t. 1t Is re-
called that on one occasion, when one
of these superfiuOus generals was cap
tured by the enemy, with a number OF
men and horses, somebody undertook
to condole with the President on the
subject, remarking that the loss Of the
captured generals service was great
misfortune to the government. "Pooh!"
replied Lincoln, ITS the horses I'm
thinking about. I can make another
brigadler general in two minutes, but
horses are scarce and cost $500 apiece"
TALKING OF WHAT THEY KNOW
'LITTLE-A gOood many of those peO-
iple who are complaining of the naval
strategy board at Washington are COM
menting upon a subject on which they
possess insufficient information. There
is no reason to assume that this board
has undertaken to hamper those in COM
mand of our fleets by instructions as
to their action toward the enemy. Sec
retary Long is mo sich a person." and
whatever may be said of other members
Of the cabinet, he Is certainly one among
them who has attained and who has
held the confidence of the country. He
may be relied upon to furnish nothing
but aid to the navy, and to be entirely
modest in failing to assume that he is
more competent to direct its move
ments that are it's officers on the ocean.
The same kind of charges used to be
made against President Lincoln in the
war of the rebellion. but he is known
now to have never interfered except to
give aid, and Mr.. Charles A. Dana said
of him that he was the greatest general
Of them all, as far as ability to compre-
hend the effect of movements in the field
was concerned.
A CONGRESSIONAL INCIDENT
The curtain is sometimes lifted in Con-
gress to give an explanation of violence
of language, which at a distance from
the scene is not easily accounted for.
One of the most frequent offenders in
this way Is Mr.. Grosvenor Of Ohio of
the house of representatives. He is
more often excited in debate and ex-
treme in personality than any other
member. Recently he attacked Mr..
Swanson of Virginia. who is an esti-
mabe gentleman much liked by his
associates of both parties. and dealt
out his fury of speech little worse
than usual. In the midst OF it he re-
ferred to one Of the Spanish ships as a
Confederate torpedo boat" To which
Mr.. Swanson calmly replied that 1.-The
speaker Is in such condition that he
does not know whether he is fighting the
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