The Opelousas courier., 1899-06-03
Washington Letter.
From Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, d. c., May 30, 1890.
There is something decidedly suspi-
cious in the news from the Philippines.
Not a line of press news a be cabled
from Manila until it has been approved
by tho u. S. Censor, and it is not likely
that he would approve anything the adj
mlnistration did not wish public.
Hence, the publication of the
statement that it would be impossible
for Gen. Otis to conquer even the entire
island of LuZOn, not to mention the
remainder of the group, so that it would
stay conquered, without IL large in
crease in his army, was allowed to
pass the Censor for q purpose. Not
being in the confidence of the admins
~tration-few persons, ever among the
most prominent Republicans, are-it
cannot be positively stated what that
Nrpose is, but the difference is that it
isVtended to pav1Ihe way for one of
twEshiQG-snll for volunteers to re-
infoft. Otis, or to make the people of
this country satisfied with some dicker
that is about to be made with the Fill.
pinOs, and which they would naturally
be inclined to be dissatisfied with. The
preponderence of opinion in Washing
ton is that 1t means more volunteers.
Orders have beer sent to the civilian
members OF the Philippine Commission
that they must do nothing to interfere
with the military plans OF Gen. Otis,
which is ~cODtirmatOry of the reported
wrangles in the Commission.
After holding it back for many
months, Mr.. Mckinley has issued his
much ADVERTISED order modifying the
civil service rules. 1t doesn't appear to
NJ !, n pulo rS>.. .o,I ,n,t-
a total OF somewhere in the neigh
from the operation of the civil SER
vice rnlr, but ,s most of those
places are already filled by Re-
publicans, it will make comparatively
little new patronage for the Republican
leaders. 1t doesn't touch the Govern
eminent Printing office, which so many
Republicans have been trying SO hard
to get thrown open to them. So far as
the party workers are concerned, the
order is likely to do more harm than
good to the Republican purity.
Representative DalzeIl, of Pennsylva-
MIA, who stands about IA much show as
Payne, the New York anti PIatt can
didate, dropped into Washington a day
two ago and announced hat he was
a candidate for Speaker. He could not
control three votes in the Pennsylvania
counting his own, to save
his neck. Bingham is the dummy can-
didate OF the Pennsylvania delegation,
and will remain such until Quay de
cides who shall get these votes.
No surprise was caused in Washing
ton by Senator PIatt's 1at-footed de-
claration that Mckinley and Hobart
would be re-nominated. So far as Nc
X irlnu 10 nnpanrnnl Dlnft hnu s,nnn
mortgaRed since early in the present
administration his endorsement of
Hobart means that il he w had any
idea of helping to get Roosevelt second
place on the ticket, it has been aban-
doned, bnt whether because he wasn't
pleased with the idea of second
place, is a matter of conjecture, but the
former is more likely to he true. The
declaration of Senator Penrose, who is
Boss Quay's MAJ and m~outhpiece, in
favor of Mckinley's renominatioD Is
nothing more than Il bid for administers
ton help for Quay in his contest to gel
his seat in the Senate. This Was doubt
pleasing to Mr.. Mckinley, whether
he means to help Quay or not, as he
found Quay decidedly "uppish''towards
the administration while he was in the
The administration was very particn-
lar to have the widest circulation given
to the report of the Beef Court of In
qui,y, but it has now been discovered
that all of the $4,000 0 set aside to pay
the Inquiry has been used up, and
has ordered work stopped IN the print
ing Of the testimony, upon which that
was supposed to be based, after
it had all been put in type. 1t has all
along been conttnded 10y many that the
administration never intended to make
The testimony public, and this action
makes it look as though that contention
wac correct.
Secretary Alger has been putting his
foot in it again. Several days ago. he
caused IN order to be issned 10y the War
instructing the military
authorities in Cuba to give clearances
to Cuban vessels under the Cuban flag,
and at the INT time stating that the
flying the Cnban flag would not
be under American protection. AS
there is no Cuban government, there
be no recognized Cuban flag
the order strikes the average man
as ludicrons. SOMEBODY called Mr.. Nc
kinley's attention to the order, and he
that it be referred to the At
torney. General for an opinion. This
opinion, it is expected, will knock the
order out. It might answer for Cuban
vessels to go from one Cuban port to an
other, under such a clearance, but in
any port outside Of Cuba, the masters
Of such vessels would be at anybody's
mercy they would have no Consul to
appeal to in cas- of unjust treatment of
my sort, and no standing in any court
,f Admiralty. Alger's speciality ap-
pears to be doing the wrong thing.
The Dewey Home fund isn't growing
fast as it might. 1t did not reach a
.otal of $4,000 until to-day. Unless it
gets a move on, it will not be big
enough to buy a Washington House by
time Dewey gets home.