The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-03-24
OUR WASHINGTON LETT Err.
WASHINGTON, ID. c.. March Goth.

MIR. EpIToR:-According to War De
partment officials, Gen. Come will not
receive a dollar of the $4,000, 900 about to
be distributed. entirely on his say 50,
among Cuban soldiers by this government.
This statement has caused everybody to
wish to know where Gomez got the money
to pay for his present very eNtravagant
mode of living, in Havana. 1t is known
that previous to his beginning the ncgo-
tiations with r. p Porter. who acted as
Mr. McKinley's personal representative,
which resulted in the agreement to pay
s., 0O0, 900 for the disarmament Of the Gu
ban army, Gomez had no money, and that
ever since then he has apparently had
plenty Did Porter make an individual
payment of money to Gomez: If so, how
much, and from what fund was it derived:
These are some of the questions suggested
by the situation and asked on every hand
Congress did not appropriate cent to
pay Cuban soldiers, but there was an item
added to the Sundrv Civil Bill by the last
Congress appropriating S3,00o,oo0 as an
emergency fund, to be expended at the
discretion of the President. That is the
money that will be used, but if the claim
that Gomez has got none of 1t and will
get none of it be true, the source from
which Gomez extracted the wealth to pay
his present enormous expenses is left a
mystery. But it will be solved. The act
ing Secretary of War SAYS that the admin
istration intends to make Cuba repay from
its revenues this money.
Senator Thurston, of Nebraska, isn't
one of those wild republicans who regard
the Presidential election of next year as
already settled. In an interview Mr..
Thurston said: The Presidential battle
next year promises to be lively and eXcit
ing Mckinley will probably be renomi-
mated and presume that Bryan will head
the democratic ticket. | believe that the
republicans will win if we stand together
and work hard, but our democratic friends
will undoubtedly put up stiff fight. We
must not indulge ourselves with the delu
sion that we are going to have a walk
over"
Secretary Alger doesn't appear to care
any more about being consistent than he
did about the welfare of the soldiers dur
ing the war Several days before Con
gress adjourned. Alger announced that
the junket he had intended to conduct to
Cuba and Porto Rico was off, because his
official duties would prevent his leaving
Washington. OF course, it was we'll
known that Alger abandoned the intended
junket because he failed to get a sufficient
number of democratic Senators and Rep
resentatives to accept invitations to ac-
company him. But for consistency's sake
it was supposed that Alger would remain
on duty and make a bluff of being busy.
Not he He left Immediately after Mr..
Mckinley did, for trip to New England,
which was extended to Canada, and this
week he is going to start for Cuba and
Porto Rico, but he won't carry any Con-
gressmen with him. He says he is going
| to pay the expenses of himself and the
would require the vouchers for the pay
mcnts to convince the public.
If any proof were needed that Mr.
Nick inley isn't in the South solely for
rest and recreation it is furnished by the
| fact that he will, during the present week,
meet Gear Reed in person on Jekyl Island,
where Mr. Mckinley will be the guest of
ex-Secretary Bliss, and Mr.. Reed will be
the guest of a rich Wall street banker
both at the same club house. 1t is stated
by Mr. Reeds friends that the meeting is
his idea, and that he intends to compel an
immediate show down on the part of Mr.
Mckinley that will make the position OF
the administration on the Speakership OF
the next House perfectly clear The
queer part of the whole business is that
two men who have spent the winter with
in stones throw of each other, in Wash
ington, should find it necessary to meet in
the Spring, on an island off the coast OF
South Carolina, in order to come to an
understanding.
| Private news from the Philippines indi
Gates that the administration is again
juggling with the public in regard to the
situation. While no official dispatches
| have been quoted, officials have talked sc
as to leave the impression that the reports
of Gen. Otis, since the victories of the
| last week, have been to the effect that
Aguinaldo's army is about ready to ask
for terms and that a general collapse OF
the rebellion may be looked for at any
time. Owing to the strict censorship no
private kilograms dealing with the condi-
tions existing can be sent from Manila
direct but some have been sent to Hong
Kong by boat and cabled from there
which do not take such rosy view of the
situation. According to these the war is
a long ways from being over, and the only
effect that will follow thrashing Aguinal
dos army, which our troops do every time
they come into contact with any portion
of it, will be to transfer the fighting
will be difficult for our men to get at them
except when they choose to be got at and
possibly to other islands of the group
There is a nightly panic in Manila and
most of the white women and children
have been sent away for fear of il native
uprising. Time will tell which is correct
the official or the private view of the sitna-
ton. The Oregon has arrived at Manila
Bay.