Middletown transcript., 1899-03-25
WASHINGTON LEFEER
Z z
HilllIlllllllillililllliI llllllilillllllllillili

HAigllmlRimllnHlluHHHunNaFHi
From our Special Correspondent
The Washington correspondents Wit
were few days ago eoncocting detail
ed stories alleging the existence of en-
nifty between President Mckinley anG
| Speaker Reed, are now busy trying tc
| invent plausible explanations of why
those two "bitter enemiesn are to be
guests this week under the same roof,
at Jekyl Island. This sort Of thing
would be amusing if it we're not dis.
gusting to those who believe in truth
fulness and fair dealing towards pub.
lie men, as we'll as towards private
citizens. That theie has been, at times
differences of opinion on important
public questions between President Nc
Kinley and Speaker Reed, just as there
has always been at times between other
prominent members of the same party,
is known to all men, because neither of
them ever hesitates about stating their
opinions; but that there has been, at any
times any personal enmity between
them or any desire on the paIt of either
to split the Republican party into fac
tions for the individual. benefit or re-
venge of either. is untrue. and nobody
knew its falsity any better than those
who concocted the stories. Next year
will be Presidential year, and this class
of yarns may be expected to increase,
because the democrats know that moth
ing but a division of the Republican
party can give them any possible show
to win.
The latest news from Gen. Otis is
decidedly satisfa ctory. His active cam
paign against Aguinaldo and his re-
peated victories have resulted in break
ing the backbone of the Philippine
revolt, and everything now points to a
speedy ending of the fighting, and the
capture of Aguinaldu is hoped for. Ad-
miral Dewey has notified the Navy De-
partment of the arrival in Manila Bay
of the battleship Oregon, in splendid
fighting condition.
Senator Frye, Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Commerce, who knows
the subject about as we'll as any man
in the country, does not smile upon the
efforts of the French Panama Canal
Company to interest Senators and Re
presentatives in the Panama Canal, the
latest Of which is Congressional free
excursion, at the Company's expense,
Of four or five weeks duration, for the
purpose Of inspection, etc. Mr.. Frye
said::" shall not 60 on the trip of in
speetion planned by the Panama Canal
Company. 1 was urged to go as were
other members of the Senate and House.
The men who are to go down there on
a pleasure jaunt know about as much
now concerning the merits of one route
over the other as they will when they
reach home. / have been building the
Nicaragua Canal for twenty-five years.
Away back when sDick' Thompson
was Secretary Of the Navy, we had a
Committee to investigate the feasibil-
ity of routes. We sat for about six
months and examined a multitude of
witness es established the utter impos-
sibility of sea level canal over the
Panama route, as de Lesseps had pro-
posed. Then the Chagres river was
considered. The investigation in that
line established that man could not con-
troll the waters, although God might.
The Committee made no report, and
about the only direct outcome of the
Investigation was the establishment of
a U. s. coaling station by the Navy
Department, in compliance with our
personal requests. When I was in
Paris Senator Frye was one of our
Peace COMMISSIONER they were after
me perpetually regarding the Panama
Canal; met friends of the project on
every hand" It is very evident that |
Senator Frye thinks we should steer |
clear Of the Panama Canal Scheme.
Maj. Demeritt, member of the 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 Philip |
pines could ever bein favor of surrend-
ering them. am satisfied that it is to |
the best interests of this country to
keep them, for their resources are var
led and valuable, and they will eventu-
ally be source of large profit. It is
not going to take a very great while
to completely reduce the insurgents
Filipinos to subsection. The more en-
lightened and well-to-do class of mixed
Spanish blood are quite willing that
this government should establish its
sovereignty"
How idiotically rampant sensational
ism can become upon. nothing was
shown when the routine order of the
Navy Department, detailing board Of
officers, in accordance with law, to ex-
anime all of the Commodores, which
grade has been abolished, promoted to
be Rear Admirals, under the law for
re-organizing the Navy, was seized up