The Opelousas courier., 1899-02-18
Washington Letter.
From olI Regular Correspondent.

Democratic Senators have not les
sened their opposition to the Hull arm.
bill. even a little bit, on account Of MI
| McIiiniey's threats to call an extra SEES
| sion of the next Congress, il the bill j
not passed by the Senate. They arr
perfectly willing that the present reg
uiar army of g., 001 men shall be con
tinued for one year from next july
in order that we may have whateve
troops that may be needed while W.
temporarily control the Philippines ant
Cuba, but they will go no further ii
helping Mr.. Mckinley push along hi
imperlallstic programme. Senate
Jones, OF Arkansas, said very emphat
tically "We DO not intend to allow ;
large standing army to be permanent.
fastened upon this country and Sena
tor Cockrcll said "If the Presiden
will make the failute OF the Hull bill
to pass the Senate, an excuse for an ex
ira session, he might Just as well pre-
pare his proclamation now. We do no
pei the Republicans to show their liant
ana outline their policy, which is now
conceaicti.' Nearly all of tie Demo,
cratic Senators talk the same way
which makes it reasonably certain tina
the Army bill will not get tEirnugh Tho
Senate.
Senate. Mason, who talked against
the treaty, and then voted for it, may
have been somewhat pricked by his
conscience. At any rate, he pricked
some of his colleagues quite heavily II
II speech he made concerning their VIC
iatioD OF an implied if not an actual
agreement, that tho various resolutions
as to the Philippine policy of this gov
eminent, should be voted npOn after
the treaty was disposed of. lie then
took the bit in his teeth and said that
he intended to keep the floor until the
Senate agreed to vote upon the McEu-
esy resolution, which declares that this
government intends to follow the same
policy in the Philippines as in Cuba.
His threat brought the Senate to time,
and it was unanimously agreed to vote
on the McEnery resolution Tuesday, al
though Senator ~IIawley afterwards
tried to change that action.
Representative Diamond, Of Mis-
souiI, made u strong antt-cXpansion
speech, in which. he said of the item
appropriating $4,000 900 to pay Spain
for the Philippines, which is in the Sun
dry Civil Appropriation bill eli this
S2O,00O,O 600 IS to tie appropriated now,
why ought not this House fix the bounds
and limits Do you propose to take in
these Philippine islands as part and
parcel o! this government. part and par
Gel Of the territory of the United States,
to endure and continue lis long as we
can hold them as pant and pace! Of it 2
Ii you do, say SO. IL You do not, say
not. IL you DO no know, then why the
hot haste for such legislation? Why
thR "a tritJ.linn !, .tnSt1nt f,y A
large army? Why the imperious spirit
here and in the other end of the Capitol,
which rejects all suggestion Of amend
ment, While 1T tie same lime it pre-
claims that you know moi whether sour
policy Is to be Temporary or p~rrlnancni,
that you know not whether yen are to
acquire this territory as q permanent
or for i sliOt time, yet
wants the army permanently, wants
an army OF 1000 GO m"n, wants the huge
expenditures that are made directly and
the hnger expenditures that will follow
III their wake, through the c~xtrnvasaircr
and rccklessncss and general dcmnruIi
which certainly must attend this
kind of loose Legislation. You want
things permanently, but what you
will 10 with them, how long you will
do !tiicm, oh, excuse you from saying
anything about that -
Representative Lent, Of Ohio, ID d
short speech, Denounced Mr.. Mckinley
committing the sentence of Geu.
TO suspension for six years, M
der full pay. He said that Eagan had
called Miles a liar for simply telling
he truth. truth to which $4,000 private
soldiers could testify-that the troops
been fed with rotten beef, and
hat Mr.. McKinley's action really
amounted to rewarding Eagan for at
acking Miles.
The statement of Representatives.
that there would be a deficit of
lot less than $3.50, 000, 900 at the end of
he next fiscal year, if Congress didn't
conomize in the Appropriations, while
tartling was not surprising to those
Vh0 have been noting the republican
endency to extravaganza.
The abstract of tho w%hitewash report
t the War Investigating Committee,
lst given out, is not worth anybody's
ereious attention.
Gen. Joseph Wheeler has offered a
e%solution providing for the axtentioo
f the thanks of Congress to Mai. Gen.
|. S. Otis, for lis victories over the
'illpinos in the last week. In view of
ne. record sent to the Senate, 10y the
,avy Department., Secretary Long
ionld tell why Schley was not court
lartialad instead of being promoted a
NV numbers under SAMPSON.