The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-03-31
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, d. G.. March. 26, 1899.
The Washington correspondents who
were few days ago concocting de-
tailed stories alleging the existence of
I enmity between President Mckinley
and Speaker Reed, are now busy trying
to invent plausible explanations of
why those two "bettcr enemies" are to
DC guests this week under the same
roof, at Jekevl Island. This sort of
thing would he amusing if it were not
disgusting to those who believe ir
truthfulness and fair dealing towards
public men, as well as towards private
citizen.
The latest news from Gen. Otis is de-
cldedly satisfactory. His active cam
palgn against Aguinaldo and his re-
peated victories have resulted in
breaking the backbone of the Philip
pines revolt, and everything now points
TO speedy ending OF the fighting,
and the capture of Aguinaldo is hoped
Tor. Admiral Dewey has notified the
Navy Department of the arrival in
Manila Bay OF the battleship Oregan,
In splended fighting condition.
SenatorFrye, Chairman of the SEN
ate Committee on Commerce. who
knows the subject about as well as any
man in the country, does not smile
upon the efforts of the French Pana-
ma Canal Company to interest SEN
ators and Representatives in the Pana-
ma Canal, the latest of which is
Congressional free excursion, at the
Company's expense, of four or five
weeks duration, for the purposed of
inspection, etc. Mr.. Frye said: "I
shall not go on the trip of inspection
planned by the Panama Canal Com
pany. / Was urged to go, as were
other members of the Senate and
House. The men who are to go down
there on pleasure jaunt know about
as much now concerning the merits of
one route over the other as they will
when they reach home. l have been
building the Nicaragua canal for
twenty-five years. Away back when
Dick Thompson was secretary of the
Navy, we had Committee to lnyesti-
gate the feasibility Ct routes. We sat
Tor about six months and examined
multitude of witnesses. These wit
nesses established the utter lmpossi-
blllty of a sea level caual over the
Panama route, as de Lesseps had pIo.
posed. Then the Chagres river was
considered. The investig alton in that
line established that man could not
control the waters, although God
might. The Committee made no 1e-
port, and about the only direct out
come of the investigation was the
establishment of U. S. coaling sta
tion by the Navy Department, in COM
pliance with our personal requests.
When [ was in Paris (Senator Frye
was one OF our Peace Commissioners
they were after me perpetually re-
garding the Panama Canal; l met
friends of project on every hand. cit
is very evident that Senator Frye
thinks we should steer clear of the
Panama Canal scheme.
Maj. Demeritt, member of tie
staff of Gen. Otis, is in Washington
on sick leave. AS he came direct from
Manila, his opinion is entitled to
weight He said: Nobody who has
seen the Philippines could ever be in
favor of surrendering them. / am
satisfied that it is to the best interests
of this country to keep them, for their
resources are varied and valuable, and
they will eventually be source of
large profit. 1t is not going to take
very great while to completely reduce
the insurgent Filipinos to subjection.
The more enlightened and we'll to do
class of mixed Spanish blood are quite
willing that this government should
establish it on sovereignty"