Middletown transcript., 1898-06-04

Spanish feet penned up in the harbor
at Santiago de Cuba but the invasion
of Cuba will nat be ordered until Com
modore Schley has officially reported
that the Spanish feet is in Santiago
harbor. This report may be made any
hour. If the Spanish fleet is there, it
will be helpless to do US any harm, and
will in the end be absolutely bound to
be captured or destroyed Although
portion of the volunteer army is still
unprovided with all needed equipments
there are more than 25, 900 men, about
three-fourths regulars, ready for en-
barkatioD, and they can all be landed
in Cuba within "a hours after orders
are issued.
President Mckinley left his work
long enough Saturday afternoon to
visit Camp Alger, on the Virginia
side of the Potomac, near Washington,
and reviewed IL, 900 of the 10000 vol
unteers now assembled there; lack of
equipments prevented all of the men
from taking part in the review. Pre-
sident Mckinley expressed himself as
highly pleased with the spirit displayed
by the men.
This week each of the governors
will te officially notified Of the number
of men his state is expected to fur
nish on the second call for troops, by
the President last week. There is no
especial hurry about enlisting these
70 600 men. In the first place, they
will probably not be needed; they have
been called for more to provide for un-
expected contingencies than because of
any pressing need for them at this
time, and in the next place, there will
be no equipment for them until after
those already in service have been all
provided for.
The Memorial Day exercises at Ar
lington and other cemeteries IN the
vicinity of Washington were unusually
interesting this year.
What is treason This question be-
comes of the greatest Importance when
the country is engaged in war. 1t is a
serious matter to accuse men of being
traitors, but black doesn't become
white because it isn't called black. In
times of peace it was a II right for men
to oppose the annexation of Hawaii
because they did not personally believe
that this country would be benefited
thereby; but, now that the President,
his entire Cabinet, and every officer in
the army and navy whose opinion has
been asked, have declared that the.
immedis to annexation of Hawaii is
military necessity, without which our
attempting to hold the Philippine
Islands may be turned int disastrous
failure and all of the fruits of Dewey's
great victory be lost, it is not all right.
On the contrary, it is all wrong. That
free speech may at times become dam
gerous is shown by the activity of the
sugar trust lobby to prevent Congress
providing for annexat ion Of Hawaii,
that the administra-
tion, a large majority of Congress, and
an overwhelming majority of people
were strongly in favor of annexation
even before it was declared to have be-
come military necessity. If this
lobby isn't guilty of trea son, it is dam
gerously near to being guilty. From
the day that the President declared
to be military necessity
it has been the patriotic duty of Con-
gress to annex, without regard to per-
sonal opinions of individuals.
Just as soon as President Mckinley
can get the time he will issue an order,
in accordance with an elaborate opinion
prepared by Attorney General Griggs,
declaring that theGovernmentP Printing
Office never was legally under the
civil service rules, because it belongs
under the legislative. and not the ex-
ecutive branch of the government.
The same opinion has operated 10 put
an eDd to the movement for the placing
Of the Congressional Library under the
civil service rules, because the Library,
like the Government Printing Office,
is Congressional institution. There
are many desirable places in the 6. p. !.
0. now held by Democrats.
postmaster General Stanton has
made plans which will ensure the
regular payment of the troops sent to.
the philippine Islands. Paymasters
with money enough for three
months pay accompanied the troops
v hich have already gone and the same
plan Will be followed as other troops
are sent. Only gold and silver viii be
ngad in m a lrin0 fhooa ravuonfa