Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-27
Talks on the Governm ent of Our New
Posses sions.
HE FIRST LAFAYETTE DOLLAR
Pins for Betterment of Prison
Conditions in Cuba.
THE WEBSTER STATUE

with the President today about Puerto
Rico, Hawaii and other new possessions.
The senator is a member of the Senate
committee Pacific islands and Puerto
Rico, and is taking a deep interest in the
question Of government for the new pos
sessions. He has his own ideas as to what
should be done. but desires to secure the
ideas Of others that he may see the mat
tiers from all points of view.
What Senator Stewart Thinks.
Senator Stewart was also one of the
Presidents visitors. He is also interested
in territorial questions, and will have con-
siderable to say when the Senate takes the
subject up for consideration. Talking OF
what should be done the senator said: The
less we depart from the old territorial sys-
tenn in governing our new possessions, the
less innovation we make in that system,
the better we will be able TO manage what
we have acquired. That system has proven
satisfactory for years and in handling all
the new territory we have secured. 1t
ought TO be good enough for the latest ac-
quisitions
My policy is to take all land we can get
and treat the people who come with IL as
our children. We cannot afford to treat
some of them as step-chidren- When we
begin that We may have discord in the
family circle. L believe in expansion, as
already stated, and believe that it was
necessary to the good of the country. A
country which doesn't grow is like a tree
which has attained its full growth, begins
to decay
No Further Military Increase. 4
Senator Cockrell of Missouri, who is the
leading democratic member on the Senate
committee on military affairs. called to pay
his respects. Senator CockreIl intends to
fight the republican plan of permanently
increasing the regular army to 5000 men.
There is no necessity for legislation on
the subject at this session., said he. Tho
army establishment is provided for until
July, 1901. This gives us a year and a half
in which to consider the matter and TO de-
termine what is best to be done. i am in
favor of increasing the artillery arm Of the
service, but do not think there is now, or
will be in the near future, any occasion for
permanent increase in the number OF
infantry or cavalry regiments above that
which has been provided by law for num-
Der OF years. l think rs 900 men. with some
additions to the artillery TO take care OF
sea coast fortifications, will be all the army
this country will need after the present
conditions in the Philippines have been
overcome"
The Webster Monument Unvefling.
Senator Chandler saw the President and
invited him TO attend the exercises Incident
TO the unveiling OF the monument to Daniel
Webster in the Lafayette Opera House on
January Is The President accepted the
invitation and will be present at the ex-
ercises-
The First Lafayette Dollar.
President Mckinley was presented today
with the first silver dollar struck of in aid
of the monument to be erected in Paris to
Gen. Lafayette. This is known as the La
fayette dollar, and the entire issue of Co.
600. authorized by Congress. has been coin
ed and turned over TO the association which
~ he Of he
ment. Each dollar is to be sold for So
realizing 100000 to add to the sum raised
by the school children of the United States
to build the monument.
President Mckinley signified to Mr. Geo
E. Roberts who presented the coin, his in
tention of presenting the dollar given him
to President Faure of France. He will send
the dollar to President Faure some time
during the coming year, and it will be ac-
companied by the best wishes of the coun-
try which so fondly cherishes the memory
OF Lafayette.
Mr. Roberts, who is director of the mint,
preserved the first dollar minted, and had
il placed in an appropriate case. on one
side of the coin are heads of Washington
and Lafayette. On the other is repro
duction of the monument, which # is pro-
posed to erect. Across the face of the
representation of the monument is this in
scription: Erected in the name of the
school children of the United States. Paris,
1900
To Better the Prisons in Cuba
x-Representative S. j. Barrows of Mas
sachusetts The representative of this coun-
try on the international prison commission,
talked with the President about the condi-
ton of prisons in Cuba. According to
Charlton Lewis of the New York Prison As
sociation, who has made a report to Secre-
tary Root, the majority of prisons in Cuba
are in terrible condition. Mr.. Lewis has
asked the administration to make change.
become much n
terested in the subject, and through Sec
retary Root will give orders that a better
ment of prison conditions shall be under
taken at once. 1t is said that Gen. Wood
will enter actively into the reforms to be
inaugurated. 1t is believed that he would
have taken the matter up without direc-
ton so soon as he had learned the condiuon
of the places of incarceration.
The Last Supervisor.
Gov. Merriam the director Of the census,
handed to the President today the name OF
the last Of the 800 census supervisors. The
task of selecting these officials has been
herculean one, and the friends of Director
Merriam are congratulating him on the
manner in which he has handled the task.
The three hundredth man agreed upon to-
day was Geo. NJ. French of Arkansas. and
no more appointments of this kind will be
made In the south the selection of super
visors exceedingly difficult. The DEM
ocratic senators and the republican leaders
in the south frequently disagreed as to
appointments. Gov. Merriam's task was
to smooth over differences and prevent
strife This he did in all cases.
For Mondays Reception.
Calvin Farnsworth, commander of the
District G. A. r., visited the White House
this morning to arrange for the reception
of the local veterans on Monday, when the
New Year reception of the President Is
held Commander Farnsworth will an
nounce the program later.
Other visitors to the White House DUR
ing the day were Senators Elkins Tillman
and Carter, Representative Sulloway and
H Clay Evans, commissioner of pensions.