The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-07-14
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.

~ -1&3 ~O1O'
Mr.. Mckinley is constantly called
upon to decide disputes between the
two fighting branches of the govern.
ment. Gen. Shafter telegraphed to
Washington that Admiral Sampson
had positively refused his suggestion,
that his fleet should be taken into
Santiago harbor SO as to cooperate
with the army in bombarding and at
tacking the city. Mr.. Mckinley wired
Sampson to act in concert with Shafter
whenever and wherever possible to do
so. There was another squabble as
to which branch of the service should
take charge of the 1000 Spanish
prisoners taken with Admiral Cervera,
when his fleet was destroyed. Ar
rangements had been made by the
War Department to take care of tine
Spanish captured by the army in Cuba,
and it put in claim for these naval
prisoners, but it was resisted by thet
Navy Department, and Mr.. Mckinley
stood by the latter, which will keep
the prisoners, now on their way TO
the Portsmouth, N. H., navy yard+
Admiral Sampson has been mydch
criticized in Congress because Qf his
failure to even mention Commodore
Schley's name in his dispatch anpounc-
ing the destruction of Cervera'S feet
when it was we'll known that Schley
was in command and directed the
fight that resulted in the destruction
of the Spanish fleet, and that 1t was
to Schley that Cervera Surrendered.
AS result of this cllticiEm resolu-
tion was offered in the Senate by
Senator Pettigrew and in the House
by Representative Berry, Of KY, ex-
tending the thanks of Congress to
Commodore Schley a md the officers
and men under him fof destroying the
Spanish fleet. Mr.. Berry said of this
resolution: 81 propose that the officer
to whom the glory lis due shall be
recognized. Schley( is the real hero
of the incident He and the brave
band of officers an d men under his
immediate directioh are the ones who
achieved the victory, and all honor
should be given ii Hem."
Everybody was delighted when the
news came that Een. Skaters offer
to exchange sol tne of the Spanish
prisoners for 1t. Hobson and his men
had, after beingI once refused, been
accepted by the spanish commandant
at Santiago. 1t WAS especially desired
that Hobson and his men should be
out of the towr| before we started to
bombarcl it.
The opposition grew tired of the
one-slded contest in the Senate and
the ar n.oll 'plution was voted
upon and dopted, as everybody knew
1t wtlia be whenever vote was
reached
Senator H9ar's protest against the
adoption OF arb imperial colonial policy
by this government, made in a speech
favoring the fannexatlon of Hawaii
it seems LITTLE paradoxical to favor
the annexation of some particular
islands and oppose the taking of any
others, but that is Mr.. Hoar's posi-
tion-cau}ed sensation in the Sen.
ate, especially on the republican side.
OF the aIlnexation of Hawaii he said {: |
"If this is to be the first step in a
policy OFF dominion over barbarous
archipeEagos if we are to join with
Europe( in the plunder of China and
the pllEage of Africa; if we are to be
goverbed in part by people to whom
the Ipeclaration of Independence is a
strang ger, or, if we are to govern people
with whom life and property are not
sacrdd, then we should shun this pro-
positk kon.' He thus spoke of "a colonial
policy: 81 believe that if we come out
of this war without entering upon the
fatal folly of retaining far distant
possessions, the world will be so i'm
pressed with our strength that no
natib will attack US for a hundred
yea1s," He declared that this country
did Inot want the enormous debt and
Increased taxes that large standing
army and great navy would bring,
"Tlhe starry flag is no emblem of
do4hinion In time of peace let it
not fly over conquered territory. 1t
is the emblem of peace and freedom"