Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-02-10
WASHINGTON LETTER
(From our Regular Correspondent


WASHINGTON, Feb. 6-Four or
five Senators kept their colleagues
and the public guessing as to how
thew would vote OH the treaty OF
Peace clear up to the calling of their
names, when the vote was taken to-
dav, and t'eirs were the deciding
votes. too. Under ordinary circum-
stances, with so important a matter
as a treaty of peace under considera-
ton. such state OF affairs would have
produced the most intense excite
ment in Washington. But the cir
cumstances in this case were not or
binary: hence there was no excite
ment, only curiosity. Everybody
knew that while today's vote could
ratify the treaty, it could not finally
reject it, becauce the failure OF sixty
or more Senators to vote for ratifca-
ton would only result in postponlnS
the ratification of the treaty until the
meeting of an extra session, immed-
lately following the close OF the pre-
sent session. And the curiosity was
more TO know how many democratic
Senator, would follow Senator Cor
man in voting against the treaty,
AGAINST the advice ofCol. Bryan, and
how many Republican and Populist
Senators would aid Mr.. German III
his attempt to wrcst the leadership OF
his party from Col. Bryan, than how
the treaty would come out. OF course
those who had no personal interest IN
the matter. regretted to see ques-
ton of partisan leadership figuring
in such business as the consideration
of the treaty, because they think 1t
lowered us in the estimation OF the
world furnishing our foreign critics
uew RIGHT to say that with Americans
nothing Is too high or too sacred TO
be dragged INTO party politics at
times. 1t is just as well. however,
for these same foreign critics to re-
member that we didn't drag any par
tisan politics into our fighting and
that we Won't when we have occasion
to fight another foreign war.
A very serious charge has been
made by Mr.. Keegan, who appeared
before the Senate Committee on Ed
ucation and LABOR, to represent tie
International Mechanics Union. lie
said that contracts for guncarrlases
and guns, which had been awarded
to the Cramp Shi Building Com
pany, and the Northumberland
company, had been executed at the
Washington Navy Yard, and the
contractors paid in cash the difference
between what 1t cost the govern
ment to make the articles, and the
contract price; that the Cramp Com
pany received $4,000 as profit on
it, contract, and the Gun Company
sI4OO on each gun made. The Com
mittee directed Senator Kyle to in
vestigate the charge. Agents ofthe
Cramp Company and officials at the
Navy Yard, say that there ism truth
in the charge; that the Cramp con-
tract was Cancelled because the govern
ment found it could do the work it.
SELF and that the guns were made at
a loss to the contractors.
1t will now only require majority
vote of the House to put Gen.
Wheeler, of Alabama; Col. Campbell,
of Illinois; Col. Colson, of Kentucky,
and Major Robbins, of Pa, formally
out of Congress, as the Judiciary
Committee has reported resolution
declaring that they forfeit their seats
by accepting Commissions III the
Army. The Committee declined to
report a similar resolution concern
ing those members who have accept
ed places OH Civil commissions.
Ifthere is any Nicaragua Canal
legislation at this session, it Is likely
to be something radically different
from either the Morgan bill, which