Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-11-25
SLOW PROGRESS.
THE PEACE COMMISSION FAR
FROM A CONCLUSION.

III inc IhliiFFliiSS-NSl u''i~"
Victory Echoed ny ii Mert
Scratch-A Split Between Reed
and the Administration lmmi
nrnt.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 18th, lS!S.
Each week since our Commissioner:
demanded the Philippine Islands
frien.:s Of the administration have lii
form, d the public that an ultimatun
had been sent spain that would emf
the business. but the business ISM
ended, and the answer submitted by
the Spanish Commissioners this week
is every bit as unsatisfactory as thell
first There has blcn quite enough
tall: about uliinatumS; Il Is now
high time To actually send one. The
Peace Commission has been sitting
seven weeks and absolutely nothing
has been settled 1t is time for this
government to show whether it or the
influence of the Spanish bondholders
is the stronger There isn't the
slightest doubt in the world that the
delay has been caused 10y the bond
holders. who want to come in some
where in the game.
There was a pointer as to the prob
able time that Gen. Fitz Lees corps
will go to Cuba in Mr.. Mckinley
answer to the delegation OF Savannah
business men who invited him to come
to their city and review Gen. Lees
troops, when he goes to the Peace
Jubilee at Atlanta. He told them he
would be in Atlanta Dec. II, and
would gladly come to Savannah and
review Lees troops, if they were not
sent to Cuba before then. 1t was evil
dent to his hearers that he thDLght
Lees corps would be in Cuba before
then-so evident that they asked him
if he could not come to Savannah be.
fore going to Atlanta. He told them
he could not But plans as &c sending
troops to Cuba have been changed 50
often that they are as likely to be
changed again as to be carried out.
Senator Caffrey, of La, says he will
oppose the ratification by the Senate
of treaty annexing the Philippine
Islands but upon one condition would
gladly support it-that all the negroes
be deported to those islands and never
be allowed TO return to the United
States. Mr.. Caff'rey said: eft the
South could be rid OF the negro prob
lem, it would prosper beyond the
dream of man. With its great natural
advantages of climate and of soil, with
its coal and iron hidden away in its
mountains and with the vast induce
ments for capital which it would offer,
if the negro problem was settled, it
would take a great stride forward"
The presence of Boss Plat and Rep
resentative Odell, Chairman of the
New York State Republican Commit
tee, at the same Washington hotel,
this week, was hardly accidental. Mr..
Odell is a candidate for the Senate.
and although Boss Plat has apparent
ly sanctioned Chauncey Depew's SEN
atorial aspirations, this Washington
meeting has added to the number of
those who believe that Odell is the
man Plat wishes to have for his col
league in the Senate, or that they are
setting up the pins for dark horse.
Senator Morrill,, of VT, came very
neal to sizing up the situation in con-
nection with the high jinks-beg par
don, high joint commissiOn-that is
trying to agree upon n treaty that will
smooth out all the kinks between this
country and Canada. when he said:
The trouble with the situation is
that Canada has nothing to give. She
had her houses all painted new by the
agreement of 1854 to 1864. Now they
have grown weather beaten and dingy;
she wants them TO have new coat of
paint"
Those Republicans who talk about
the recent election having been an
overwhelming endorsement of their
party are merely INDUCING in pipe
dreams. There was nothing over
whelming about the election. On the
contrary, it was only by the skin of
their teeth, as the saying is, that the
Republicans escaped defeat. 1t was
such close shave that Il change of 300
votes, distributed among eight Con-
gressional districts, would have put
the Republicans in minority in the
next House, instead of a majority. 1t
should not be forgotten, either, that
the Republican majority in the next
House will be forty less than their ma
jority in the present House. To blow
about such an endorsement" as that
is simply to exhibit gall.
Senator Falkner says fl is by no
means certain that the Republicans
will control the West Virginia legisla-
ture that will elect his successor. The
result will depend upon the official
count in number of districts, and
Mr.. Falkner expresses confidence in
Democratic control of the legislature.
Although Representative Grosvenor
and other friends OF the administrs-
ton have been industriously denying
that there was any lack of harmony
between Car Reed and the admins
ton, or that there was any intention
on the part Of the administration TO
try to prevent Reeds election as
Speaker of the next House, there are
other facts, such as the public state
ments respectively made by Boss
Hanna, and by Representative Ding
ley, who was made Chairman of the
House Ways and Means Committee
by Reed, and who is Reeds man.
which offset those denials. The two
statements are directly opposed to
each other. Hanna says tho tariff
has got to be revised and more money
provided for; DINGHY says no revenue
legislation of importance is needed
and that there will be none by Con-
gress. By many who make study