Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-01-21
NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL.
The Nicaragua Canal BiIl--The Situa-
ton In the Philippines--Mr.
Dingley's Funeral.
(From our Regular Correspondent.)

y
realizes more fully than President Nc
Kinley that the revision of his testi-
mony, eliminating the blackguardism,
does not condone the disgraceful con-
duct of Gen. Eagan in personally
abusing Gen. Miles, his superior
officer-conduct which was aggravated
by the furnishing to the Press Asso.
citation of advanced typewriter
copies of the Billingsgate before it
was uttered in the presence of the
War Investigating Commission, but
that revision will at least remove the
dirty stuff from the official record.
What else is to be done is yet to be
determined, but it seems to be reason
ably certain that something else will
be done, and quickly.
The Senate will this week amend
and pass the Morgan bill for the con-
struction of the Nicaragua canal, and
if the House Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce would drop
the bunch of canal bills it is wrestling
with, and report the Morgan bill,
even with few amendments, there
would be reasonable certainty of its
becoming law at this session. But,
If that committee reports an entirely
new measure, as all the secret oppo-
nentS of the canal wish it to do, and
as it seems likely to do, the chance of
getting it through will certainly not
be encouraging 1t is either the Nor
gan bill or no bill at this session.
Gen. Otis and Admiral Dewey, who
certainly ought to know better than
anybody else, do not expect conflict
with the Philippine insurgents. In
their official reports to the Govern
ment, they say they have perfect con-
troll of the situation in and around
Manila, and that they are gradually
succeeding in making the rank and
file of the insurgents understand that
Americans are their best friends, not
their enemies, as Aguinaldo has re.
Gently been trying to make them
believe. AS soon as that task is &C
complished, the rest will be easy.
Things will move faster over there
after the treaty has been ratified.
All sorts of arguments are being
advanced in all sorts of ways to arouse
opposition to the acquisition of the
Philippines by the United States One
of the most unique being the offer of
Mr.. Andrew Carnegie, to pay from
his own bank account, the $40, 900, 600
the treaty of peace calls for, if Presi-
dent Mckinley will withdraw our
soldiers and war ships and allow the
Philippines 10 govern themselves.
That offer is buncomb pure and
simple. There are no circumstances
under which the offer could be accept
ed, and nobody knows that any better
than Mr.. Carnegie. By the treaty of
y eace, the Philippines pass from
Spain, their recognized owner, to the
United States, which will be held re-
sponsible by the nations of the world
for the protection of the interests of
their citizens in the islands. What
ever may be decided upon, after we
h ave learned more about the islands,
the assumption oe sovereignty over
them by the United States is a present
duty that cannot be shirked.
Death can certainly be accused of
having been partial to the New Eng
land delegation in Congress, when it
strikes down so close together two
such prominent men as Senator Nor
rill and Representative Dingley. The
funeral of Mr.. Dingley took place
today, in the hall of the House of
Representatives, in the presence of
almost the same audience of promi.
nent officials and persons, who at
tended the recent funeral of Senator
Morrill,, in the Senate Chamber. Mr..
Dingley was not an orator. but he
was statesman of hard, horse sense,
and wide experience, whose advice
was always welcome in the highest
Republican councils, and usually
followed. He knew the tariff as only
half dozen men have ever known it,
and the present tariff, which bears his
name. is monument to the good use
to which he put his knowledge. A
joint Congressional committee left
WASHINGTON after the tunera1 with