The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-02-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
COURT OF INQUIRY NOW RE-
dARDED AS SITTING AS a
COURT MARTIAL Tc
TRY TILES.
Talk of Compromise on Army Bill
--Pacific Gable Again Bobs
up.
up.


Washington, Feb. 20. -Ac-
cording to a statement made by
a member of the court of inquiry,
which this week begins the taxi
ing of testimony on the embalm-
ed beef charges. the court re-
CARDS itself as sitting as court
martial to try General Miles on
the charge of lying, although
without authority to pass sem
tence should it find him guilty.
No other construction can be
placed upon this language, used
by the member of the court re-
ferred to: "We look to Gen.
Miles to prove his allegations.
We nave no concern as TO the
witnesses as to that side of the
inquiry, and it is incumbent up
ON General Miles to secure and
produce before us those whom he
expects to establish his case.
In other words, the court be-
lieves Gen. Miles guilty, but will
give him a chance to prove 9TH
erwise. Gen. Miles will produce
sixty odd officers who reported
from the field against the beef
issued, including Gov. TEDDY"
of New York, and the proof will
be made SO hot that it is likely to
scorch Secretary Alger and other
officials as well as the beef con-
tractors.
There is some talk of a COM
promise on the army bill which
is now before the senate, but it
is not coming from democrats.
Senator Cockrell, who reported
the democratic bill to the senate,
says that measure will give the
administration temporarily, all
the troops it can possibly have
any need for, and that further
than that he and his democratic
colleagues are not inclined to go.
1t is believed by many that the
semi Reputation Of imperialism
made by Mr.. Mckinley in his
Boston speech was intended to
help the Hull army bill in the
senate. This may or may not be
true. Democrats in congress
were glad, Of course, that Pres
ident Mckinley should have dis
claimed imperial intentions, but,
believing the saying that acts
count for more than words, and
having their wits about them
they fail to see the point of the
disclaimer, while he insists upon
having at his command a large
standing army, and refuses tc
accept the democratic offer Of q
temporary force large enough foI
his admitted intentions. The
Hull bill provides large mum
Der of juicy plums in the shape
Of commissions for civilians il
the regular army, and the at
tempt is being made to get DEM
ocratic and populist support fol-
the bill by offering big, chuncks
of this patronage to senator's
This week is likely to determine
whether the bill can be passed oi
not
The scheme to make this gov.
ernment pay private company
subsidy of 500, 600 a year fol
twenty years for the use Of ;
Pacific cable, was thought tx
have been knocked out sometim,
ago, but it is on deck again as al
amendment to the Sundry Civ
bill, proposed by Senator Frye
1t cannot be knocked on in th'
senate on a point Of order as tn
Nicaragua canal bill was in th'
house, nor can the same tactic
be followed in the house whel
the bill goes back with senat
amendments. That is why tn
senators who are trying to ge
the Nicaragua canal bill through
have had what is practically tn
Hepburn bill added to the rive
and harbor bill, as an amend
ment. They have not undertak
en- an easy job as it is understoo'
that Gar Reed has declared hi
intention to prevent canal legis
lation, no matter what has to b
held up to do so, but the sena
tors are confident of getting tn
best Of the czar. who is said t
oppose the canal, only becaus
he is unwilling that work shoul
be begun upon it, under the Nc
Kinley administration.
There are few democrats j
congress who are opposed to ou