Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-04-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, April Is, 1898.


The Spanish mananaD tomorrow has
been entirely too conspicuous in Washing
ton during the week just passed. 1t may
not be true that the administration is
scheming for further delay, but it is
quite certain that it did nothing to try to
prevent the waste of four precious days
| by Senators in talking without saying
anything that had not been said before by
themselves or others. 1t is equally certain
that the Senators who were most anxious
for delaying the final vote upon the resolu-
ton authorizing the use of the army and
navy and the militia of the several States
to force the Spanish out of Cuba were
those who have stuck the closest to Mr..
Mckinley since the Cuban business began,
and the same crowd, now that the Senate
| has adopted resolution differing from the
House resolution in several particulars,
notable the recognition of Cuban independ-
ence, are trying to secure more delay by
bringing about a deadlock between the
House and Senate What could have been
done in an hour has been dragged along az
entire week. 1t IS enough to make men
suspect trlckery somewhere, even if they
can't exactly locate it.
Mr.. Mckinley claims that he is anxious
to go right ahead and drive the Spaniards
out of Cuba just as soon as Congress clothes
him with the necessary authority, and it
may be that he is, but the action of Hanna
and his peace-at-any- price associates In the
Senate in seheming in every conceivable
manner to get delay will make the claim
doubted by some until actual proof is given
by orders to the feet at Key West and the
soldiers now being gathered at Southern
ports. Every way one turns he's confronted
by an If" just now. If Mr.. Mckinley
acts upon that resolution he will please the
country; if he should exercise his consti-
tutional right to hold it ten days before
signing it, he would rouse the country to a
state OF Indignation.
Nothing manlier nor truer has been said
during this session of Congress than the
reply of Representative Bailey, of Texas,
to the taunt that he had lost his head,
when he holly replied to what he charac-
terized as ungentlemenly interruptions on
the part of Representative Daizell, of Pa.
That a man may lose his temper under
very great provocation," said Mr.. Bailey.
!" Is a very natural thing but men may
lose their tempers and still not lose their
heads. But if in order for man to pre-
serve his equanimity and appear cool, he
must allow insults to pass unanswered, then
| prefer TO be classed with those who lose
their heads I would infinitely rather lose
my head in resenting an insult than to lose
my self respect by submitting to one."
Senator Money apologizsd to the Senate
for having been unparlimentarY in calling
Senator Wellington liar when the latter
charged that the former had gone to Cuba
as agent for newspaper, but he did not,
and has not apologized to Wellington On
the contrary, he took especial pains to
emphasize his personal responsibility out
side of the Senate chamber for the langu-
age. There is probably not man in the
Senate who is SO absolutely friendless as
Wellington, and it is all his own fault too
l. seems impossible for him to let an
opportunity go by to make a monkey of
himself He alone of all the Senators said
in his speech that we have no reason OF
cause to fight Spain.
Although there have been all sorts of
denials concerning an attempted European
intervention by force at the last minute to
prevent the United States taking Cuba
away from Spain, it is fact that members
of the administration have been sounded
by European diplomats for the purpose of
ascertaining how a bluff at forcible inter
vention on the part of the so-called CEN
certed powers" of Europe would be re-
ceived. To the credit of the men who were
approached, it can be stated that every one
of them promptly replied that any bluff of
that kind would be at once called-that it
would be an infringement on the Monroe
doctrine that would not, could not, be
tolerated by any American administration.
Archbishop Ireland took that view from
the first, and informed the Pope that the
United States would brook no European
interference that whatever could be &C.
complished by European influence would
be in Spain The Archbishop, who was in
Washington for about ten days, has gone
away thoroughly convinced that American
occupation of Cuba is now absolutely sure
to come He has SO informed the Pope,
and it is believed has suggested that the
Pope endeayOr to persuade Spain to
pesceably surrender Cuba and not wait to
be driven out.
Friz Lee hasn't lost any of the hard
horse sense for which his friends have SO
long admired him. He couldn't avoid the
impromptu serenade given him when he
first arrived in Washington, but when in
vited to a reception to be held in his honor
by Union and Confederates, he declined
Wise Fitz He knows that the pressure
that is being brought to bear in favor of
his being put in command OF the troops to
be sent to Cuba has already aroused politi-
cal jealousy, and he will not give them a
chance to say that he is trying to push
himself He has been assigned room in
the Department of State, in order that the
administration may avail itself of his
knowledge of Cuban affairs SO long as it
may be necessary.