The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-09-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
PARIS EXPOSITION WILL NOT BE
BoYcoTTED BECAUSE or THE
VERDICT IN DREYFUs CASE.
Grand Army Of Republic Want
Pensions lncreased-Nation-
al Campaign Opening Up
With Ohio Election.

talk ABOUT boycotting the Paris
exposition next year, because of
the verdict of guilty in the Drey.
fus case, has died out in this city.
1t was of short duration, which
proves that Frenchmen are not
the only emotional people in the
world. The navy department has
begun the boxing of the models
OF our warship for exhibition in
Paris, and all the arrangements
for participation in the work will
be carried out as originally in
tended. Although this work will
go forward without restriction,
no doubt the Dreyfus case will
serve as text for many congress
sional utterances. When this
topic is entered upon, we shall
see quite a wide range Of army
discussion. There will be some
striking parallels drawn between
Dreyfus and Captain Carter, who
was court martialed nearly two
years ago for emhezzlement OF
nearly two millions from this
government, and whose sentence
has been suspended by President
Mckinley, under one pretext or
another, until the case has reach
ed point scarcely less scandalous
than that OF Dreyfus. With such
a case as Carter's still hanging
hre, the proposition to boycott
the French Exposition speaks
well for American impudence, but
not much of consistency.
The case of Gen. Egan also
should not escape discussion.
Here is an officer found guilty of
gross misconduct, given a leave
OF absence for seven years. and
then retired. The net result of
his punishment was that he
will get in salary, without doing
a str ke Of work, S39, 900 from
the treasury. And in view Of
this astonishing manner of dis
cipllning our soldiers, no COM
ment is called for if France final.
ly pardons Dreyfus, then con-
demns him again to exile, with a
pension sufficient to take him
on two years jaunt around the
world. 1t SIMPLY would be Egau
izing him.
The recent action of the Grand
Army Encampment means an.
other raid on the United States
Treasury by that organization.
Not content with the nations lib.
erality in granting pensions.
amounting to ever $3.50, 600, 900
a year for several years past, they
now propose notifications in the
administration of the law which
would result in the pension ap-
preparation running up to over
5000, ,090, 900. 1t is not strange
that President Mckinley stands
aghast at the outlook. As is TO be
expected, his sympathies are with
the Grand Army organization,
but he knows better than that
body, the great drain on the re.
sources of this nation, caused by
the present size of the army and
its operations in the Phiiippine
Islands. Not only that, but it is |
easy to see that as a result OF our
recent wars, the pension roll will
be very materially enlarged, for
large percentage of those who
participated in the Cuban cam |
paign, have already. filed their
claims for various disabilities. |
Knowing this to be the fact, and |
that the transportation of troops
to Manila, the maintenance of
the troops, the naval appropria-
tions, and the other vast expen-
ses, called for by a wasteful dis
regard of the duty owing to the
taxpayers, the president feels
that the United States Treasury is
in no condition to stand any new
inroads; and the conservative
element of the country, as well, |
who are getting tired of the DOM
ineering attitude Of the Grand
Army, are beginning to feel that
those demands must be resisted. |
no matter what the consequences
may be. They have reached the
conclusion that the appropria-
tions for pensions should begin
to appreciably diminish through
the exercise OF greater care and |
wiser discrimination in the dis
tribution OF the pension money.
This can be done without depriy-