The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1898-11-05
Washington, ID. e., News.
From our Regular Correspondent
\NaSnin otOu. Oct. 81.

Washington, Oct. 81, 1898.
A leak in the Paris end of the ad
ministration has made it apparent
why the republicans were so anxious
that .he treaty of Peace should not
be concluded before the Congress
ional election. We are to get the
Philippine islands. But we are to
buy them-a new wrinkle, after
capturing territory by force of arms,
to pay money for it-either by pay
ing a large sum in cash or by assum-
ing about $lO,0OO,0O0 of Spanish
bonds, or by both. 1t is not supris-
ing that the republican managers
should dread such information as
that going to the country OH the eve
of an important election, nor that
they should now he trying to dis
count it 10y saying that nothing had
yet been positively determined up
on, except that we would demand
all of the Philippine islands. That
demand was to-day officially made
by our peace Commissioners, of the
Spanish Peace Commissioners, but
it was known in Poris several days
ago, and known to the Spanish
Commissioners that this govern
ment had agreed to proposition
to buy the philippines A suspi-
cious thing about this agreement is
that special issue of Spanish
donds, OF S40,OOO,OOO, alleged to
have been issued for public i'm
provements in tho markets of
Europe from the time they were is
sued, all suddenly disappeared
about the time the peace commits
sioners met, and to-day not one of
those bonds can be bought. Where
did thay go? They were bought
by somebody, according to the
testimony Of European bond brok-
kers. Did that somebody have ad-
vance inside inflammation that this
particular issue of bonds was worth
more than other Spanish bonds,
because of this agreement of the
Uuited States government to buy
the Philippines If so, who gave
that information, end who is going
to profit thereby {? There are ques-
tions that will not down, and which
may, if Mr.. Mckinley allows this
agreement to be carried out, bring
about scandal that will make Al
gerism seem like q very small mat
ter.
Secretary Gage has been giving
away administration secrets, by
publicly admitting that while he
hopedfor the election of a republi-
can majority of the next House, he
would not go so far as to say that
he looked for republican success.
The only difference between Secre-
tary Gage and the other members
of the administration is that he has
publicly said what they all think
aud say privately.
Mr.. McKinley's Commission
ought to give Capt. VIM. Astor
who served in the Cuban
and won praise from Gen.
in an official report, and
who is now democratic candidate
Congress against Lemuel Eli Quigg,
in one of the New York city districts,
u chance to testify, if they really
wish to get at some warm facts.
Capt. Chandler says that Abner
made money out of con-
tracts for furnishing supplies to our
troops in Cuba, and moreover, that
the stuff furnished by the Abner
concern was of an inferior
quality, aud not up to the specifi-
cations in any particular. This
matter will be heard from again as
soon MS Congress meets.
The country may expect the pub
lication of p preliminary report from
Mr.. Mckinley's alleged investigation
commission, during the present week
as Boss Hanna and the other repub.
lican managers have ordered that
one be made and given to the pub
lie before the Congressional election.
There is little probability that a
whitewasll report, such as will be
made, will influence the casting of
a single vote. The people of the
are on to that commission
and it's work.
Although Gen. Butler and Ad-
miral Sampson, two of our military
Commissioners at Havana, have
made strong representations of the
danger of trouble in that city from
riots by the unpaid and discomfort
ed Spanish soldiers, and asked that
one or more warships be sent there,
the Cabinet has decided that no
warship can be sent there, because
to do so would he violation of the
protocol.
If is evident that somebody in
authority thinks that Lieut.. Hobson
is getting too much glory out of his
efforts to save those wrecked Span
ish vessels. Hobson is now in
Washington, being catchised by
Board of Naval officers who are in
clined to stop his work, on the
ground that it will cost too much
money. If Hobson is not allowed
to prodeed with his plans for saw
ing those vessels, the people will
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