The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1899-08-05
Washington, ID. C., News.
From our Regular Correspondent.

-'1ent was on fo9t to put another
gold democratic presidential tick
ct in the hessl. .next year. No such
movement is Known among Dem
ocrats, and no such action is ex-
pectod to get the support of any
considerable number of Demo-
Gratis, because they all know
that it is not being instigated by
Democrats, but by Republicans,
whose only object is to draw sup
port away from the regular Dem
ocratic. ticket. A number of
Democrats who took part in or
ganizing the Palmer and Buckner
movement, have since acknowl-
edged their mistake and their re-
gret, and expressed their inten-
ton to stand by the regular nom
nations hereafter, because the
Democratic party AS whole
stands for most of the things they
believe in. Although Republi-
can money is likely to be freely
used to bring about such con-
dition, there is absolutely moth
ing in sight at this time to indi-
cate the nomination of gold
Democratic ticket next year.
There is much shaking and
quaking in the old Alger clique in
the War Department, because of
a rumor, which seems to have
foundation, that Secretary Root,
who is now in Washington, pre-
paratory to being sworn in to-
morrow and taking charge in
tends to reorganize the War De-
partment from bottom to top.
Certainly no other department of
the government needs thorough
reorganization more than the
one over which Mr.. Root has been
chosen to preside, but the clique
is powerful and Secretary Root
may find himself unable to over
throw the Algerites. If he is
wise he will get Gen. Miles on lis
side, by restoring him the au-
thority of which he was deprived
by Alger.
Acknowledgement Griggs, before
going off on his summer vacation,
shattered the hopes of numerous
persons who thought they had
everything fixed to secure valuable
Porto Rican concessions from the
War Department, by rendering
opinions upon three specific con-
cessions, s,-thc right to use the
water power of the river Plata, the
right to build and operate a tram
way, and the right to build and
control, for all time, piers and
wharves at Ponce. These opin-
ions take the ground that all such
concessions were the crown prop
erty of Spain, and sums them all,
apparently all other public con-
cessions on the island, up, as fol-
lows: CAS- crown property, they
were, by the treaty of cession.
transferred by Spain to the u. S.
of America, and are now part
of the public domain of that ma
tion. | do not know of any right
or power which the Secretary of
War or the President has to alien
ate in perpetuity, any of the pub
lie domain of the U. S., except in
accordance with acts of Congress,
duly passed with reference there
to- This is understood to be a
hint to Alger of the power of the
administration to make trouble
for him and his business friends,
who are heavily interested in
some Cuban deals, if he attempts
to antagonize the administration.
Representative Griffith, who
represents the Indiana district
which sent the late Judge Hol-
man to Congress for SO many
years, said Of politics in his State,
and he knows: ''Indiana will
send to the Democratic National
Convention solid Bryan dele
CATION. The men who were for
Mr.. Bryan and the Chicago plat
form IN 1896, have not weakened
in their faith regarding either. l
am one of those who believe in
the indestructability of the prin-
ciples of Democracy, and though
the party may suffer temporary
defeat, it is sure to regain as
tendency. for it represents bet.
ter than any ether political or
ganization the true interests of the
people. The predominant issue
in 1900 is very apt to be war upon
the trusts, and upon this, the
Democrats will be in far better
position than their opponents.
The voters of the country cannot
be deluded by antitrust declara-
tions of the Republican conven-
ton; they understand that there
is no real antagonism between the
leading men of that party and the
trusts, but on the contrary, the
closest intimacy exists, seeing
that most of the influential Re
publicans are thoroughly identi-
fed with combines and monopo-
lies. We had great chance in
1896, and we came very near sue
cess, and we will have just as good
a chance in 1900. | see nothing
in the situation that is dicourag-