The Press., 1898-04-21
Washington Letter.
washington. Anrtl IS. 1898.

the complaintssof congress recently made
Of the slowness of the president was an
instance of "the pot calling kettle black.
From the talk In congress before the
presidents message went.in IL was sup
posed that the message would be acted
upon within day after it was received,
but it was before congress a week before
the resolution authorizing forcible inter-
vention was In the presidents hands. The
house adopted a resolution promptly, but
the senate, after wasting four days in
talk without bringing forward single
new idea, unless the assertion of Senator
Wellington that there was no reason for
our going to war with Spain can be con-
sidered one, adopted an entirely different
resolution, includinga provision for the
recognition of Cuba, which. made more
delay. While 1t prohably is not true that
these delays were the result OF plotting,
it is not surprising that suspicion was ex-
pressed by the impatient.
According to statements made by mem
bers of the administration, the president
will lose no time In putting armed inter
vention into effect, and the rushing Of all
available troops in the regular army to
southern ports looks like Immediate
ness but he viii probably first demand
the peaoeable evacuation Of Cuba by
Spain, granting q day pr two for Spain to
answer. That will mean more time. So
hox l.
expected delays that few ale being made
in Washington just now. We are going
to war. OF that everybody is certain, but
nobody is certain whether the shooting
will start this week ,or next,or week after
Although no prominent man in either
party would acknowledge them to have
been necessary, men who wear their party
collars loosely consider that Senator
Gray's words There is one truce one
armistice -that.I want, and that is truce
between the political, parties. of this
country until we can settle our account
with Spain were not only necessary,
but that they have had good effect on
those who have been trying to play party
politics in congress during the last few
days, by causing them to realize that they
| were getting on thinice, and letting them
know that, whatever their intentions, they
were not fooling everybody. Plain Ameri-
canism is good enough for every true
patriot until we have given Spain that
| long invited thrashing, and the Politician
big or little who fails to recognize that
fact will be. made to pay dearly for his
error by the Leople. ..s..s.. ....s :. ss,.....
Among the many offers made to the
war department ef,men.And things to use
against the Spaniards was one. from a
circus proprietor of twenty five elephants,
which he said would be just what would
be needed by our army in Cuba. He did
not like it at all when the officials told
him that they didn't think they could
make use OF, heaelephants.-. 49, its. -,a
If the representatives of the" great
European powers:in Washington are cor
rectly reporting the state of cohgressfon-
al sentimentto their governments, nothing
is likely to come of the renewed talk
about the intention of. the. six. greatest
European powers to attempt by4a Joint
note to- persuade this government not to
force Spain out of Cuba, and If that fails
to make a threat of resorting to. force to
compel us to keep our hands off Spain's
island possessions. That Austria, France
AMI Italy would. be willing to go to al
most any extreme to. aid Spain;yif they
could be assured of the assistance of Eng
land, Germany and Russia, is very we'll
known. But the determination OF con
gress, which knows that it reflects the
overwhelming sentiment Of the country,
would not be changed one iota, even if
formal notice was served on this country
that European forge would be used. TO
prevent the carrying out of the Joint reso-
luton just adopted5 to drive Spain eoutsof
Cuba Senator Teller voiced the4ssenti-
ment of administration, congress, and
people when he said .''There must be no
interference by the allied powers of
Europe. We should declare that with all
the vigor of our .Anglo-Saxon, blood. and
our rs, 900, 900 people," s.Noforeign die
tation," would become companion. .s4o-
gan to Remember the Maine,e' 5sthe
minute that the European powers attempt
ed to NEEDLE with our settlement Of The
Cuban question. s" ss.''*t-: ~.
Many of the old-timers in Washington
can remember when the passing Of the lie
diredt from one senator to another would
have led to trouble outside of the senate
chamber, but it, Senator Wellington, Of
Md, has taken any step towards. resent
ing or demanding 4retraction5 of the
words -''you' are liar ~, applied to him
in open senate by Senator Money, OF
Miss, whom he charged with having gone
to Cuba as the agent Of + New York
paper, nobody. has found It out. senat or
Money apologized to. the senate for using
unparlimentary languages but he dld.not
apologize to Senator Wellington for call
| ing him liar. = 49, Af2t ..-esg>-s ..es~