The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-27

tBy @. A. EDWARDS. j

very confident way and assuming that all
they had to do was simply put this ques-
ton to vote and they would wipe the
opposition OFF the face of the earth. They
were simply wh:stling 10 keep mp their
courage and now they are singing very
small indeed. The chances are the admin
istration is in the minority at this session.
which means an extra session. lust as I
have indicated several times within the
past two or three weeks.
The administration forces arc apparently
afraid TO let the treaty come to n vote.
They fear the consequences. They don /
want an extra session: they don't want
to make the concessions demanded by the
nti-expansionists and they don't wait
to bring matters to acrisis. They are
between the devil and the deepest kind OF
deep blue sen. They also know that
when the extra session is called that the
treaty, so far as the senate is concerned,
Will be dead easy; but that the 100000. coo
appropriation is going 10 have hard sled
ding In the house.
The enemies to ratification in the senate
make several specific demands on the adj
That tuss tlhiIu Iuubt NC CUi.l-
piled with or the treaty will fail OF con-
firnation Mt this session. They demand
that the time extension of the measure
authorizing the increase OF the regular
army TO $500 men hold good until next
December; that the treaty be so amended
that the clause relating to tho Philippines
shall recite that Spain 'relinqulshes" SOW
ereignty over the Islands, instead OF "ced-
ing sovereignty to the United States;
that IL the treaty be not so amended, that
the administration consent to the passage
by the senate OF resolution declaring
that the Philippines are and OF right ought
to be free and Independent, aud that the
United States guarantees to them stable
form of local self government.
The antis say that unless some such COM
promise is agreed to by the Mckinley
strikers In the senate they will mash the
treaty into the earth with Legislative
to do 1t.
As have said previously in my letters
to The Post the Nicaragua canal bill would
pass the senate II 1t got TO a vote. 1t did
so by big majority. Now comes the
tug OF war. 1t isn't going TO have such
smooth sailing in the house. The commit
tee on Interstate and foreign commerce.
in the house is all mixed up on bill and
thcre is no telling when one is coming
out OF 1t. Every scheme and proposition
before the committee has It's friends and
adherents and the big lobbics here work
81 hos r,.tx
things so powerfully there is no telling
where we are at" 80 far as any certain
bill il concerned.
am satisfied THAT Mr.. Hawley's bill.
which is similar to the Morgan bill that
passed the senate, and on passage OF which
conference committee could soon con-
struot a satisfactory bill to both houses,
is favored by majority of tho house conf.
mittee, but the pulling and hauling and
powerful interests at work prevent action
by the committee.
All the big interests here had their open
innings before the committee. They each
presented strong arguments for their
claims The Panama canal people made
up strong case and said 1t would only
cost 500. 100000 more to finish their ditch.
but they failed to answer satisfactorily the
assertions that the rainfall would be In
sufficient to furnish necessary water to
operate locks at the summit lssels.
The Grace syndicate aud the Maritime
company have each offered practically the
same thing at the same cost The work
OF the Maritime company is admitted to
be only preliminary, while the Grace people
have done none at all The only question
at issue between the two Is that Of the
concessions.
The Maritime people insist that their
concession will be extended ten years from
October, 1899, and the Grace people say
init" 1t is a case of grab concession
on the part OF the Grace people. and 1t is
question whether tho Maritime people
have expended the s5,oO0000 they are
asking Uncle Sam 10 plank down in order
to do business under their concession.
The Panama people are simply Bghting
for existence That's the case in a nut
shell.
Now it's pull Dick, pull devil up hero to-
see who will come out on top, and between
ana aruuug III ttSSc pohtohoihS ihNNASSNS
the bill isn't likely to have strength enough
to crawl through this session. Aside from
the fact that any bill reportce will be saw
agely fought in the house, 1t is currently
reported here and believed that Chairman
Hepburn is opposed to any kind of an old
BILL aud Tom Reed is credited with en-
tertaining similar opinions. This may
safely be set down as transcontinental rail-
road influence.
~
The transcendant and supernai gall OF
Eagan in continuing to perform the func-
lions OF commissary general OF subsistence
when constructiyely under arrest TO await
courtmartial. is causing some caustic com
ment here, and lots OF It from prominent
republicans at that. They see Ayers
hand in this whole business and they know
that II the republican party continues to
carry such load much lon~er II VIII be
afflicted with fiat feet. 1t will also have
the --LATEST nose any party ever received
from the people in 1900, unless something
oar ha dcua ~ cannfaraef the effect of