Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-11-17
WASHINGTON LETTER
From our Regular Correspondent

dominating issue in the Presidential
campaign. No better proof of the
correctness of this assertion is neces-
sary than the declaration OF two
prominent members of the House
Grosvenor, of Ohio, and Barham, of
California-both republicans. Gen.
Grosvenor said; "There will be but
one issue next year, and that is the
financial ISSUE" and Mr.. Barharo said:
"The money question will hardly be
thought of in the next campaign. 1t
was brushed aside and lost sight OF In
the State campaigns. The people
did not want to hear it talked from
the stump. The two things all audi
ences were interested IN were, first.
expansion, and second, trusts Other
examples of contrary opinion might
be gwen, but these will suffice to
show that the politicians differ widely,
and to recall the oftasserted fact that
the people make national issues for
the politicians to advocate.
Lieutenant Castle, aide-de-camp
to Gen. Brooke, Military Governor
OF Cuba, who is in Washington on
furlough, Expresses the opinion that
it will be great mistake on the part
of this government to supersede Gen.
Brooke with Civil Governor at this
time, and predicts much dissatlsfac-
ton among the residents of Cuba, if
it IS done. Nevertheless it will be
done very soon, unless the present
plans of the President are changed,
or he is convinced by those who
maintain that Cuba, having been by
an official decision, concerning the
revenue laws classed as "a foreign
country" the President has no legal
authority to maintain any other t"an
military government therein. This
last is new view of the question,
and was not considered by the Prcsi-
dent and his advisers when they first
reached the conclusion to put Cuba
under civil government.
The japanese delegates to the
Commerlal Congress, which is being
held in connection with the Phlladel-
pma export exposition, bad an ex-
tended conference at the Department
OF Agriculture, with Secretary Wilson,
their special object being to try and
get the duty of ten cents a pound on
tea removed or lessened, because OF
its injury to the tea trade Of Japan.
They were som ewhat inquisitive, de-
string to know why the duty was i'm
posed, whether it was for revenue,
protection or to discriminate against
Japan. Secretary Wilson told them
that the L. S. did not regard the
Japanese duty on tobacco as a dis
elimination against an American in
dustry, but as source of revenue
and means of protecting the home
market on the part of Japan, leaving
them to infer that our duty on tea
was for the same purpose.
Three out of the ten chaplains in
the regular army recently ordered to
the Philippines, because Congress,
presumably through oversight failed
to provide any chaplains for the vol
unteer regiments, have succeeded II
escaping that duty, one on the ground
of ill-health, one by the discovery
that he had misstated the year of his
birth when appointed and is now en-
titled to retirement, and one by sheer
"pull" has had his orders to proceed
to the Philippines revoked by the
War Department. This sort of thing
was predicted by numerous army
officers when the order was issued,
which, if carried out, would transfer
some of these gentlemen from tie
easy places they have had at various
army posts, to roughlng it in the
Philippines, with troops constantly
on the move. 1t doeSn' speak very
high for the class of men who have
been appointed chaplains in the army
in time ofpeace.
Col. J. Hamilton Lewis, who has
Just returned from Europe, whittier
he went on sort ofindependent DIP
lomatlc Mission, involving claims of
miners in the disputed territory adj
iacent to the Alaskan boundary,
against the British government,
brought back as picturesque an outfit
of clothing as he wore when mem
Der OF Congress; also some decidedly
pictureque ideas concerning impend-
ing changes in the map of Europe.
He predicts that Germany will absorb
Austria and Holland, and become the
greatest power in Europe, and event
ually will, through its colonial posses
sions in Asia become embroiled in
a great war with this country; that
Russia will absorb Bohemia, Fin
land and Turkey, and will fight a big
war with England for the possession
..,b,oI tl,o II