The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-09-16
WASHINGTON LETTER
ITEMS OF INTEREST CLEANED By
OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

the war with the philippines
speedily, or the result will be dis
astrous to you and to the repub-
lican party. - That is the sum
and substance Of what is being
daily dinned into the ears of Mr..
Mckinley, not by his opponents.
but by leading republicans, who
know how unpopular that war is
becoming all over the country.
Mr.. Mckinley is gradually be-
coming convinced that the re-
action in public sentiment con-
cerning 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 presi-
dent who feared the public senti-
ment 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
daring and somewhat scandal
GUS attack upon vice. Chairman
Philips of the commission, who is
connected with an independent
oil company in Pennsylvania, by
officials of the Standard Oil Trust
Mr.. Philips denied the charge
that he had been mixed up in an
offer to dicker with the Standard
Oil Trust. but the charge left a
bad taste in everybody's mouth,
and ia not calculated to add any
thing to the prestige of the COM
mission, which isn't any too
great at best.
Senator Stewart 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
relations until France gets gov
ernment. The senator threatens
to offer a joint resolution to that
effect when congress meets; also
bill repeating all official rocog-
milton of the exposition at Paris,
next year.
The administration appears to
be still determined to leave Gen.
Otis in supreme command in the
Philippines, although Secretary
Root is understood to have re-
commended a change, and to ia
vor sending Gen. Miles over
there. There is politics in this
determination, and it isn't the
sort of politics that reflect credit
upon MIR. Mckinley. The Han
ma crowd are afraid of Miles now,
and il he should 90 to the Phil
ippines and do what Otis has Sc
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 po-
litical rival of Mr.. Mckinley
That is why they wish to keeI
Otis in command, notwithstand-
ing the overwhelming evidences
from all sources, of his unfitness
not to call it by harsher term.
The agent of the nom partisan
Associated Press, in a long letter
from Manila, just published, af.
ter going into details, showing
the failure of Otis, sums up by
saying: "The secret of the whole
trouble here is that the govern.
ment has left sruall man to dea
with most delicate problem, re.
quiring broad craftsmanship
Everyone agrees that Otis is hon
est, and that counts for much ir
position affording such chances
for dishonesty, but everyone
agrees also with the most remark.
able unanimity, that he has bung-
led affairs from the beginning.
1t is evident to even the mos
casual observer of those politica
currents which are to be found
by those political currents which
are Ito be found by those whs
know how, just below the sur.
face Of party waters, that the re.
publican leaders are carefully
paving the way to drop Mr.. Ho'
bart if they shall consider it ex-
pedient to do so. The state O
Mr.. Hobart's health is made ths
basis of all these preparator,
stories. If it doesn't improve,
s.his family win have to veto thu