The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-03-24
ANTI-REED MOVEMENT
Seems to Have Been Created by News.
papers Out of News-Official
Army Order.
Special Correspondence of The Gazette.

- V"N-S
the Filipinos. A few more days Of the
same sort Of work and Auginaldo will
either be q prisoner or a fugitive and
his followers will have an opportunity
to ascertain how badly they were de-
ceived when they allowed themselves
to be persuaded that the Americans
were their enemies. There will be no
let up in the aggressive features of the
campaign of General Otis as long as
there are hostile Filipinos to be found.
The details Of the fighting show that
the Filipinos do not stand before
American charges, even when they have
three times as many men, any better
than the Spaniards did. They also
show that the American soldier, either
regular or volunteer, is without q SUI
perior ns a fighting man, no matter
what circumstances he fights under
that he always fights to win and always
does it.
Negotiations for reciprocity treaties
with France, Germany and with Great
Britain, for the British West Indies,
which were interrupted by Commits
sioner Kasson's duties as a member Of
the Ang]o-American commission, have
been resumed and are being pushed, as
the period within which the Dingiey
tariff act authorizes such treaties to be
made will expire OF the Gath of next
July. Russia has also opened negotia-
lions for reciprocity.
A level head is one Of mans most
rare and valuable possessions. Had
Civil Service Commissioner Proctor
possessed it he would not have exposed
his chagrin because congress, in the ex-
ercise Of it's unquestioned privilege,
chose to provide that employees of the
census bureau should be chosen without
the assistance of the civil service COM
mission, by announcing in a newspaper
interview his intention to worry sena-
tors and representatives by advising
office seekers to follow them around
and keep nagging them all the time.
Should he attempt to live up to his an
nouncement, be would soon be hunting
for a job. as he would certainly not be
allowed to keep the n he now holds.
Competency to fill the position will be
required Of every employee Of the census
bureau, but that will not prevent a
large majority of them being republi-
cans. The census is to be- taken under
a republican administration.
Representative Joy of Missouri thus
characterizes the story alleging All anti
Reed movement among the republicans
of the next house. which has appeared
in various versions in the newspapers
of the country recently: 81 guess that
the dull season for the newspapers has
arrived and that the boys must have
something to write about. But to re-
iterate such nonsense as this argues also
the arrival Of the silly season. If the
gentleman from Maine lives, he will be
speaker of the Fifty-sixth congress
without any opposition. So far as I
know MI. Reeds health is very
robust
Secretary Alger has issued an official
order to army officials calling attention
to the clause of the army act of the late
congress a%bolishing ''army canteens"
and forbidding the sale of liquor at any
camp or post under control of the
United States.
The ants of the so-called ''Cuban
Assembly" are cutting no figure in the
plans Of this government for placing
Cuba upon a peaceable basis and giving
its people an opportunity to organize a
government of their own, to which the
island can be turned over: MOI are the
schemes of the American money lend
ers, who have offered to float an issue
of bonds authorized by the "Cuban AS
sembly'' as a usurious profit, if the
United States government would guar
antee the bonds. The United States
government isn't going into the bust
ness of guaranteeing bonds, even were
they issued by a recognized government
of Cuba. and it isn't going to recognize
the "Cuban Assembly as having in
any way the right to represent the peo-
pie of Cuba. This government has ar.
ranged with General Gomez for the dis
bandment of the Cuban army and the
distribution of So, 900, 900 among the
men, in order that they may return to
peaceful avocations, and it expects
those arrangements to be successfully
carried out.
The idea of erecting a handsome