The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-15
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
ington.
WASHINGTON, Sept. IL, 1899.
(ConIlnnnicated).

pines speedily or the result will
be disastrous to you and to the
Republican party" That is the
sum and substance of what is be
ing daily dinned into the ears OF
Mr.. Mckinley, not by his oppo
nents, but by leading Republi
cans, who know how unpopular
that war is becoming all over the
country. Mr.. Mckinley is grad
ually becoming convinced that
the reaction IN public sentiment
concerning his Philippine policy,
predicted more than year ago
by Col. Bryan, is at hand, and
once fully convinced, there is no
telling what he may do, for this
country has never had President
who feared the public sentiment
of the country as much as Mr..
Mckinley does, or who tried so
hard to make his official acts meet
its approval, regardless Of his
own opinion.
The most striking thing con-
nected with the hearing on trusts,
by the Industrial Commission,
was a daring and somewhat scan
dalOus attack upon vice Chair
man Phillips of the Commission,
who is connected with an indie
pendent oil company in Pennsyl-
vania, by officials of the Standard
Oil Trust. Mr.. Phillips denied
the charge that he had been
mixed Hp i'll an offer to dicker
with the Standard Oil Trust, but
the charge left a bad taste in
everybOdy's mouth and is not cal.
culated to add anything to the
prestige of the Commission, which
isn't any too great at best.
Senator Steward is a fine speci-
men of stalwart radicalism in all
his views. He never trims on any
question and conservatism is un-
known to his mind. He has got
it in for France for several rea.
sons, the latest of which is the
second conviction of Dreyfus
and says that country really has
no government at all, and that
we should break off diplomatic re :
lationS until France gets a govern
ment. The Senator threatens to
offer a joint resolution to that ef
feet when Congress meets; also a
bill repeating all official recogni-
ton of the exposition at Paris
next year.
The administration appears to
be still determined to leave Gen.
Otis i'll supreme command in the
Philippines, although Secretary
Root is understood to have rec.
commended change, and to favor
sending Gen. Miles over there.
There is politics in this determi.
nation and it isn't the sort of pol
itics that reflects any credit upon
Mr.. Mckinley. The Hanna
crowd are afraid of Miles now,
and if he should go to the Philip,
pines and do what Otis has 50
signally failed to do they would
fear him still more. They know
that Otis is not likely, under any
circumstances, to develop popu-
larity enough to make him a DO
litical rival of Mr.. Mckinley.
That is why they wish to keel
Otis i'll command, nOtwithstand
ing the overwhelming evidences
from all sources, of his unfitness
not to call it by a harsher term
The agent of the non partisan
Associated Press, in a long letter
from Manila, just published, after
going into details, showing the
failure of Otis, sums up by saying
"The secret of the whole trouble
here is that the government has
left small man to deal with 8
most delicate problem, requiring
broad craftsmanship. Everyone
agrees that Otis is honest an(
that counts for much in posi-
ton affOrding such chances foI
dishonesty, but everyone agree,
also with the most remarkabl,
unanimity that he has bunglet
affairs from the beginning.D
1t is evident to even the mos
casual observer of those politica
currents which are to be found b,
those who know how, just below
the surface of party waters, tina
the Republican leaders are care
fully paving the way to drop Mr.
Hobart if they shall consider i
expedient to do so. The state O
Mr.. HObart's health is made TIN
basis of all the preparation,
stories. If it doesn't improve
"his family will have to veto tn
idea of his remaining i'll politics,
etc. This is all tommyrot. Mr.
Hobart has shown upon severa
occasions, during :the last tire
months, notably by his getting
Alger to resign, that his healtI
is good enough to do what othe
men, not on the sick list. failed t.
do. His "health'' is likely to re
main i'll precarious condition
until Boss Hanna has fnlly mad