The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-06-16
FROM THE CAPITAL,
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
ington.
{ Communicated v
WASHINGTON, June II, 1899.

trying so hard To keep the people
in the dark about what is going
on in the Philippines, when only
a short time ago it was it's boast
that it published all official dis
patches received. 1t is known
from the press reports that have
been allowed to pass through the
Military Censor at Manila, that
hard fighting has been going on,
and the suspicion is growing that
General Otis is making some use
of the volunteers who should be
on their way home, if any of the
numerous promises made had
been kept, and that the adminiStra-
tion does not wish their friends
at home to know until whatever
is being attempted is all over.
And it is admitted by officials
that there are differences between
General Otis and Mr.. Schurman.
President Of he Philippine
Commission, but claimed that
the differences are unimpOrtant.
The public does not care CONT
mental about he claims made by
officials, but it wishes to know
and feels thai it has right to
know what is being done with
our volunteers: hence there is a
general feeling OF resentment
against the suppression of official
! dispatches.
One of the principal reasons
why Secretary Alger desires to
retain the War portotolio, even
when he knows that Mr.. McKin-
ley would like to get rid of him.
Will soon become apparent to
close observers. as it has been an
/ nounced thar a number of fran.
chlSeS for various more or less
valuable concessions in Porto
Rico are shortly to he granted.
1t might naturally be supposed
that such franchises, if granted
at all before he establishment of
the civil government for the is
land. would he granted by the
Military Governor, but no
chances are 10 be taken by the
men who are after those fran
chlSes; they are TO be granted by
Secretary Algcr. and it is dollars
to ginger cakes that every one of
them that is ut all desirable. will
be captured by his friends and
business associates.
In issuing a second elaborate
defence of Mr.. McKmlcy's Civil
Service order, Secretary cage
rather overdid his task without
changing anNbody'S opinion.
( Criticisms of tine order have
made Nh. MclNinleyyery sore. aud
ae has engaged in the eAplaua.
tion business himself and even
tried to get ''funuy" by telling
how surprised Senators and Rep.
rcSentatiyeS have been who have
come aftcr some of the places ex
ccpted from the Civil Service
rules and found that they wer,
all filled, and that no removals
were contemplated. He als(
gave out for publication a letter
from the Board OF the Smithson
ian Institution, asking that tn,
heads OF all the bureaus Of thai
establishment be exempted from
the Civil Service rules. SO muct
explanation is calculated to in
crease rather than dimin
iSh suspicion of that order. The
full significance of the CLAUSE
which permits the reinstatement
OF any government employee. re-
CARELESS Of how long they have
been out Of the government ser
vice, Is inst beginning to be"seen
Under it every employee who wa,
dismissed during the two Cleve
land administrations can be rein
stated, If they have pull enough.
Southerners were pleased with
the selection of eX- Senator PaSco
OF Florida, as one Of the nine
commissioners named by Mr.
Mckinley to make an investiga
ton of the canal route across the
isthmus, Representative Under
wood, of Alabama, declares thai
the people of his section regarC
provision for the building of the
canal one of the most important
matters to come before the mex
Congress. The last Congress ap
propriated one million dollar,
for this commission. 1t was I'm
dersto0d at the time that this pro
vision was the work of the lobby
lists employed by the Panam;
Canal Company. Unless thos,
who think they know are badl,
mistaken, the Panama COMPANY
is not likely to profit by the com
, mission which is regarded as al
most sure to report in favor of tn,
Nicaragua route. How soon thi,
commission will report is a matte.
: OF doubt, but it's members have