Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-10-17
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, October Is, $780,
Secretary Hay finds his Judgment
in leaving the presidential party and
returning to Washington fully justi-
fled by the situation in South Africa.
While this government has nothing
whatever to do with the quarrel be-
tween Great Britain and the Trans
vaal Republic, and intends maintain
ing strict neutrality, everybody
was glad to know that the opening Of
hostilities found the secretary of
state at his desk. There are hun
dreds of Americans in South Africa
engaged in mining and other occupa-
tiOns, and they look to our consular
officers over there for the protection
of their interests, and the consular
officers look to the secretary of state
for their orders. One American war
ship, the Montgomery, has already
received orders to proceed TO South
African waters, and it is expected
that the Chicago, which will De Rear
Admiral Schley's flagship, which will
be ready to start in about two
weeks, will receive similar orders.
When Schley gets over there, chose
who had so much to say about the
inslgnifcance Of the command of the
South Atlantic squadron will see how
little they knew about it.
Secretary Root declines to discuss
the military movements this week in
the Philippines further than to say
that he is perfectly satisfied with
what is being done and that General
Otis is being allowed to conduct the
campaign to suit himself. Although
the condition of the roads over there
will not permit of any extended
movements of large bodies Of troops,
the movements that are being made
are all part of the general plan Of
the campaign, which has for It's OBJ
ject the crushing Of the rebellion.
Although the details of the campaign
are not known outside Of the war de
partment, it is known that it in
cludes a general advance on the part
of he entire army aid that all towns
of the least importance which are
taken will be garrisoned and held;
also that the increased naval force Is
to play an important part IN the
campaign.
Advices from Ohio indicate that
Mr.. McLean's scheme OF carrying the
state by getting Republicans, who for
one or. another cause were disposed
to be dissa tished, to stay away from
the polls, looks very different since
ne and his assistants have heen try
ing to put it into practical operation
from what it did when they first dis
cussed it among themselves. There
has at no time been any doubt in
Washingt on that Ohio would sustain
President Mckinley and his policy
by electing the entire Republican
ticket by a rousing majority. That
there are Republicans in the state
who have real grievances, and others
who think they have, is true, but
even if there were enough Of them to
affect the result, would it right their
grievances or help them in any man
ner to elect McLeat? Most assuredly
not, and nobody knows it any better
than the men most directly concerned.
None of them have any grievance
against President Mckinley, and it is
not at all likely that any consider
able number of them will help bring
about a result which the Democrats
would hail as a condemnation of the
national administration and it's pol
icies. Ohio Republicans are not in
the habit of biting off their noses to
spite their faces and they will not do
SO this year
The decision of the treasury depart
ment to anticipate the payment of
the interest on the public debt for
the remainder Of the fiscal year end
ing June 80. 1900, which was an
nounced this week, is based upon the
soundest of business principles, ard
means a considerable profit to the
government-nearly a quarter mil
lion dollars-if all the holders Of
bonds should elect to pay the rebate
charged by the treasury and receive
their interest in advance. The treas
ury has nearly $500, 100000 Of
available cash at its disposal, and if
all the holders Of bonds take their
inter est in advance it will only re-
quire S26, 100000 to pay them.