The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1899-03-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent

From our regular correspondent
WAsnINGTos, March 20.-Wh!
are the official advices received from
the Philippines different from thos'
received by private parties? That i
the question Of the hour in Wash
ington. At both the War and Ma.
w Departments it is stated that al
the news received indicates that thu
victories of the past week have de
moralized the Filipinos. and tina.
their early submission is looked for
This is decidedly cheering and there
would be great rejoicing were it not
for private dispatched received via
IIong-Kong, which say that the wal
is likely to go on for an indefinite
period, and that 1t is liable to break
out in fresh places any time, owing
to the treacherous nature OF the En-
ipinos, and their enmity to America;
that the natives IN Manila itself are
organized and ready to take advan'
tage of any opportunity they may
get to massacre and burn, and the
whipping of Agulnaldo's army as a
body will only result i'll turning the
war into a bush-whacking guerilla
affair. OF course, everybody wishes
70 believe that the official news is
correct, but the private news is a
sort of wet blanket all the same.
One thing everybody could and did
rejoice over-Dewey'S report that
the Oregon had had arrived in tip
top condition.
A warning has been sounded by
Senator Frye, concerning the crafty
methods that are being used to Gre
ate a sentiment in this country in
behalf OF the Panama Canal, a
project through which the poor peo-
pie Of France have already been rob-
bed of millions and a scandal created
which, for a time, threatened the ex-
i%stence Of the French republic, and
which caused Ferdinand de Lesseps
to end his days under the shadow OF
disgrace, that is worthy of more than
a passing notice. Senator Frye
found out while he was in Paris as a
Peace Commissioner, that the mana
gers of the Panama Canal Company,
intended to make the attempt to get
control of the U. S. Congress, for the
purpose of. getting Legislation in ia
vor of the Panama Canal, and, of
course, a big pile of Uncle Sans
good dollars. The scheme succeed
ed to the extent of getting legiSla-
ton for a Commissioner to investi-
gate both the Panama and Nicara-
qua routes, work which Senator
Frye points out vas done by a Com
mittee of which he was a member,
more than twenty years ago. The
next move in the scheme is a free
trip given to such Senators and Rep
resentatives as will go, for the alleg-
ed purpose of investigating and in
specting the Canal routes. The trip
is to last a month and the steamship
that will carry the party will be fur
nished with everything good to eat
and drink, and no money will be ac-
cepted from passengers. Senator
Frye says he refused the most urgent
invitation to join the junket, and in
Inmates his belief that some of those
who accepted will live to regret hav-
ing done SO.
One mans prophecy is on general
principles worth about as much
notice as anOther's, but here is a
prophecy made by Capt. Thos. E.
Mckee, Journal Clerk of the House,
who thinks himself and is thought
by many others to be high authority
upon the drift of political events.
Mckee says: 81 propecy that
af two years Cuba will be an
nexed to the United States. Bust
ness interests in the island will urge
such action. The Cubans are en-
without revenues, and should
they be left to govern themselves,
they would proceed to tax foreign
out of existence"
Let those who are short on faith
make a little study of the payment
IF 5000, 900 to Cuban soldiers; it is
an object lesson on faith, from start
10 finish. TO start with, Congress
mad so much faith in the President
hat it appropriated $4,000. 600 to
be spent at his discretion, then the
had faith enough in Hon.
Robt. p. Porter to send him to dick
n with Gen. Gomez, Commander-in-
of the Cuban Army, and to
'ffer to distribute the So, 900, 900
among the soldiers. if they would re.
urn to peaceful occupations. Gomez
has SO much faith in the offer that he
accepted it, although only verbally
made, on behalf of the Cubans, and
n return this government showed its
in him by making his O..
( the nply thine that wo,Id onaLlo