The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-01-06
NASHINGTON LETTER
Our Regular Correspondent
Records the Events of a
Week at the Capital.
WHAT MORRILL, DID

Presidnet lnstructs Admiral Dewey
and Otis About Philippines-The
Cuban Soldiers a Problem.
Special Correspondence of The Gazette.
Washington. Jan. president Nc.
Kinley's instructions to Admiral Dewey
and General Otis say in substance
Hoist Old Glory in every seaport of the
Philippines. peaceably, if you can,
fOrcibly if you must; and let it be dis.
tinctly understood by the insurgents
that the authority of the United States
Will be maintained at all hazards. His
instructions to all of our officers in
Cuba are equally explicit. concerning
the transfer of authority from the
Spanish to our troops-allow no unjust
treatment of either Spaniards or Cubans
BY each other, and SO far as may be
possible prevent either doing anything
calculated to humiliate the other.
What to do with the Cuban soldiers
ls q problem that is receiving much at
tention from our officials. The men
are entirely without clothing or money,
and the sO-called Cuban government
has no money to pay them, although it
gets enough from somewhere to main
tain a number Of ornamental, rather
than useful. agents, in Washington,
New York and elsewhere. Some Of
the soldiers have been in the field ever
since the rebellion started and never
received q cent. Tt would be unjust,
as we'll as dangerous, t dismiss them
ragged and penniless. It has been sug-
gested that this government advance Il
sufficient sum to pay them all some
thing like 500 each. and repay itself
from the Cuban revenue that will be
collected by us while the island re-
mains under military control, and the
suggestion has been favorably received,
and may be carried out. There is an
item Of So, 600, 600. for emergencies, in
the special deficiency appropriation
made by congress, that could be used
for this purpose if the president ordered
it done, but this he has not yet decided
% do.
Few public men have died in Wash
ington whose loss was more sincerely
regretted than Senator Morrill, Of Yer
mont, who died last week of pneu-
monia. after an illness Of less than one
weak Senator Morrill, had been in
congress for the last forty-four years
and has been identified with much use-
full legislation. He was instrumental
IN putting through the house, when he
was a member of that body, the first
bill against Mormon polygamy; he in
troduced and carried through both
branches of congress the first bill grant
ing public lands for the support Of ag-
ricultural, scientific and industrial col
leges, under which act there are now
forty seven colleges. with 900 profess
sors and more than 5000 students; the
war tariff bill, known as the ssMorrill
tariff" was largely his personal work
in fact, there has been no tariff or
financial bill put through congress dur
ing the last forty years that he did not
have a hand in shaping. The con-
gressional library building, the finest
OF Its kind in the world, is a monument
to his tireless industry and persever-
anoe, and almost his last work was to-
have the senate pass, for the third time.
his bill to purchase the square of
ground opposite the library building as
a site for a supreme court building.
Senator Proctor. his colleague, told
Senator Morrill's character, in a sent.
ence, when he said of him: "All dur
ing his political life he has been out
spoken in his expressions of opinion,
and in the many years that / have
known him I have never heard an M
kind word said Of him." Funeral SER
vices were held in the senate chamber
Saturday.
Senator Allison Of Iowa is the second
republican on the finance committee, of
which the late Senator Morrill, was
chairman, but as he is chairman of the
appropriation committee, a position he
is not likely to give up for this vacant
Craftsmanship, it is regarded as certain
that Senator Aldrich Of Rhode Island,
who, owing to Senator Morrill's feeble
ness, performed all the hard work Of
the chairman during the amending OF
the Dingley tariff bill and the debate
on the bill IN the senate, will become
chairman OF the committee, if Senator
Allison valves his right to it. No
senator is better fitted for the place than
Mr.. Aldrich.
It was not surprising to those famil-
lar with the situation when General
Otis cabled the war department that
so-oalled government had
fallen to pieces by the resignation of his.
cabinet and his inability to form
another. owing to the indisposition Of
the Filipinos to assist him in his bluff
at opposing the rule Of the United