The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-02-22
The Week at Washington.

The belief was general that, IL the
treaty of peace should be ratified by the
Senate of the Congress now sitting in
Washington, there would be no extra
session either of the Senate or of both
houses of the Fifty-sixth Congress. No
sooner, however, was the treaty elimi-
mated from the causes of anxiety than
it's place was usurped by the Hull army
reorganization bill. This measure pro-
vides for new regular army, adequate
for existing and prospective emergen-
cies. Without some provision for an
enlarged army, on basis of perma-
nency, the military force of the govern
nent would subside, on the completion
of peace negotiations, within the limits
Of the regular army existing before the
disturbance with Spain. No force ade-
quate for holding the possessions taken
over from Spain and maintaining order
in them would exist. The Hull bill
created such force. 1t had passed the
House of Representatives, opposed
only by the party of blind and unrea-
soning obstruction, the democracy.
Immediately on the reporting of the
bill in the Senate the same party,
which, consistent in its partisan and
unpatriotic record, had been for weeks
holding up the treaty of peace till adj
monished by the spilling of blood at
Manila, shifted to the army bill and
over that measure renewed its factional
opposition to the government. There
will now be no necessity for an extra
session, unless the Democrats filibus-
ter to prevent vote being taken on
this bill. An attempt is being made to
bring about compromise that will let
the Democrats who are opposing the
bill down easy, but Republicans are not
concerned in it, and Senator Hawley,
chairman of the military committee,
who has charge of the Hull bill, says he
will accept no compromise; that it
shall be the Hull bill or nothing. If
this is not passed, an extra session is
inevitable. Probably no other self
respecting country in the world has
within it's citizenship men, or an organ
ization of men, capable of subjecting
it to the shame, humiliation and mate
rial injury the democratic party and
very few Republicans have brought up
on the United States by their course on
the treaty of peace and on the pending
army bill.
The Nicaragua canal bill is another
measure of vital Importance whose fate
is hanging in the balance. This meas
ure has passed the Senate but has
struck on legislative rocks in the House.
Mr.. Hepburn's proposition to attach
the bill as a rider to the sundry civil
appropriation bill was ruled out of or.
der. The Senators now propose to
give the House an opportunity to act
upon canal legislation, that cannot be
blocked by points of order, by putting
the Hepburn bill in the river and har-
Dor bill. The bill so amended has al
ready been reported to the Senate, and
there is no doubt that it will pass that
body.
A third important measure, supple
menting the events of the year, is for
connecting the United States by cable |
with Hawaii and the far East Sen.
ator Frye has offered an amendment to
the sundry civil bill, authorizing the
payment of 100000 year for twenty
years by the government for the use
of Pacific cable, from some point in
The United States to China and Japan,
via Hawaii, Guam and the Philippines,
provided that the cable be in working
order to Honolulu by July l, 1900, and
to Manila by January l, 1901, and
that messages of the United States gov
eminent be carried free forever.
After the Nicaragua canal bill had
been ruled off the sundry civil bill, on a
point of order, the item appropriating
$20,000,000 to carry out the terms of |
the treaty of peace with Spain went
the same road. But Representative
Cannon has introduced bill making
the appropriation, which will be passed.
The attempt of Representative Gillett
of Massachusetts to mix up the APP
preparation and the McEnery resolu-
luton, adopted by the Senate last
week, will do no harm, as the bill will |
never be heard of again.
The foregoing are the measures of
great public interest and importance
pending in this Congress, whose sands
of life are fast running out. They are
each and all of the highest necessity.
Respecting some of them such admon-
ition to act promptly has been adj
dressed to members of Congress by the
events and incidents of the past year
M mOrlI FOIL