West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1899-11-09
or Washington LeIIer.
Tho Philippine Commission Gets
Out Hurried Report Endorsing
McKinley's Policy.
The Sultan or Sulu and His Harem
and slaves is Worrying the Ad-
mInistratiOn.
corrosposdence for tho Argus.


| mlnistratiOn.
! Correspondence for the Argus.
WAsHINGToN. ID. O., Nov. A.
MIR. Mckinley has played his last
card in his effort to prevent Ohio
| going Democratic, and he is by no
means confident of its Winning.
Finding that the Philippine Com
mission was not likely to get out
It's preliminary report, on the hints
| given to it's members, in time to
influence the voters, be sent for the
members to come to the White
House, and told them IN person to
/ get up preliminary report at once.
! The Com missiOners had not been
out OF the White House an hour
before the press was furnished semi
officially with statement saving
that this preliminary report would
be a thorough endorsement Of the
administrators Philippine policy
from to z, and that it would rec
ommend the permanent retention
OF the Philippines by the United
States. In short, the Philippine
Com Isslon is going to report hat
MIR. Mckinley wishes them to re
port-what he and mem bers of his
administration have been talking
for weeks. Yet. he imagines that
TINS report is going to influence
pn6llc opinion sufficiently to stop
the alarming Increase of adverse
criticism of his Philippine policy,
lie viii know better by and by.
Men who draw big salaries for
small work may be willing to have
their opinions made for them, but
the people at large, who are under
no obligations to the administers
tlon' have habit of doing their
own thinking.
III
The administration has been so
much worried by the wide publica-
ton of its official recognition of
polygamy and slavery, under the
American flag, by its treaty with
the Sultan OF the Sulu Islands.
which are portion of the Philip
pine group, that Prof. Schurman.
President Of the Philippine Com
mission, was aSked-perhaps or
dered would be nearer correct-to
make statement in defense of
the administration. He made a
statement, which was an excuse
rather than defense. He ad
United that treaty had been made
with the Sultan which would allow
continuation of both polygnmy
and slavery, but said in excuse
therefor that this government had
to do it. because Spain did it, or
else to engage in bloody war with
the natives under the Sultan's rule.
In other words, Prof. Schurmann's
intended to be friendly statement
of facts agrees with the strongest
statement made by those who have
criticised the administration for
sauctlonlng such treaty.
TIT
The conversation of party of
gentlemen, in Washington hotel.
turned to municipal socialism,
which one of them-a New Yorker
declared had been making rapid
STRIDES during the last five years
without attracting much attention.
He said "Who would have
thought even twenty years ago
that American municInnIities
would be furnishing free musical
entertainments to the townspeop!e 4?
Had any one quarter of century
ago predicted that the pub bile funds
would be used TO give free baths
to urban residents, the prophecy
would have been laughed to scorn.
let we see many cities that have
free baths as an established IN
stltutlon, and public sentiment is
favorable to the policy. The point
l make is that, having gone so far.
/ the tendency cannot be checked
and what will be the result by the
middle Of The next century no man
can say. ! will! hazard a guess
that not many decades will 90 by
ere in most cities Of the United
States you will find public ba.
kerry, run by the municipal GOV.
eminent, which will supply bread
to the people at actual cost. If
any man thinks that silly state
menb let him revert to the baths
and music, now furnlscd by many
cities, neither Of which is as essen.
| tIal as bread"
TT
The announcement that Mr..
hobarPs death was only question
OF time brought Boss Platt Ay;ng
to Washington lie came ostcnsi.
/ bly, IN connection with his fpht
against the architect chosen bv
/ Secretary Gage to draw the plans
for The New York Custom House