Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-01-02
WASHlNGTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS OF TIE MONITOR.

OF H6aCO 10 w dSuIuSUOb, wi NAoA
personal welcome and heartfelt con-
gratulations on their successful work,
and assured them that the Christmas
gift they brought to the American
people was thoroughly appreciated.
As a further mark of his appreciation,
he will give, in honor of the Commits
sioners, a state dinner at the White
House. In addition to the treaty, the
Commissioners brought to the Presl-
dent a full and detailed report of
their work. The Commissioners were
pleased to learn that the opposition
of the treaty by the Senate had prac-
tically all died out, and that the trea-
ty was likely to be promptly ratified.
opposing the treaty have assured
President Mckinley that, while OPP
posed to our retention of the Philip
pines permanently, they would vote
to ratify the treaty as soon as it was
reported to the Senate from the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations: to which
it will be sent as soon as tgoes to the
Senate, which will be Immediately up
on the re- assembling of Congress.
The Spanish Peace Commissioners
will realize what mistake they made
when they refused to sell US a small
island in the Caroline for a cable sta
ton, as soon as they learn that we
have taken possession of an island
Wake Island-that will answer every
purpose and will cost nothing. This
island is about two thousand miles
from the Hawaiian islands and about
thirteen hundred miles from Guam,
being almost on a direct line between
those possessions. AS far back as
1851, Admiral Wilkes surveyed this
island and asserted title, but the ISL
and being merely coral reef three
miles long, has never been occupied.
But it is all right for a cable station,
and President Mckinley has sent
orders to Commander Taussig, of the
gunboat Bennington, to proceed to
the island and take formal possession.
1t is a coincidence that on the fourth
of July of this year, transport bound
for Manila, stopped at Wake island to
allow our soldiers to get a days rec
reation on land.
President Mckinley stopped a lot
of crooked business when he ordered
that new franchises given by the To-
cal authorities in Cuba, Porto Rico
and the Philippines, should be revok-
ed by our military authorities, when
ever they were unfair in their terms
or likely to be against the best interest
of the islanders. A lot of unscrupu-
1ous spectators have been engaged
in the purchase of railroad, electric
and other franchises from impecune-
Gus members of local governments in
the towns on all of the islands, with
the expectation that the Z. S. would
recognize them. 1t is the Presidents
intention to prevent any robbery of
the islam ders that can, by watchfulness
on the part Of the authorities, be pre-
vented.
Admiral Sampson, who has just re-
turned from Havana, where he has
been on duty as a member of the
evacuation commission, says that
while many Cubans are anxious to
set up an independent government,
the better classes on the island, in
Guiding most of the men of wealth
and prestige in business affairs, are
practically unanimously in favor of
the U. s. taking the island for keeps,
instead of only temporarily. The Ad-
miral's own opinion is that the Cubans
are in no condition, at this time, to
establish and maintain a
government of their own, and, while
he doesn't say as much, the impression
one gathers from talking with him, is
that he doubts whether they ever
will be.
Chairman Hull has filed with the
clerk of the House, the report of the
Committee on Military Affairs in favor
of his bill for the re- organization and
increase of the regular army, which
was not ready when the bill was re-
ported to the House, just before the
Christmas adjournment. The report
is very full, giving unanswerable rea-
sons, in detail, why the bill should be
passed. The following extract from
the report fully explains the nature
of the bill: ''The bill fixes no maxi
mum strength for the whole army.
Assuming that the government will
require about 100, 600 men for defense
of the frontier, for coast defense and to
maintain our authority in the islands
for whose good order and govern
ment this nation is now responsible.