Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-06-15
OUR CAPITAL LETTER.
PORTO RICAN FRANCHISES WILL BE
GIVEN AWAY BY ALGER.

That Is One of His Reasons for Remain
ing in stle Presidents Cabinet-Stin
suppressing Dispatches from the PhiIir-
pines-Cubans Protest Against an Order.
Washington, June 10, 1899.
Everybody is asking every body else
why the administration is trying so hard
to keep the people in the dark about
what is going on in the Philippines,
when only a short time ago it was its
boast that it published all the official
dispatches received. 1t is known from
the press reports that have been allowed
to pass the military censor at Manila,
that hard fighting has been going on,
and the suspicion is growing that Cen
eral Otis is making some use of the
volunteers who should be on their way
home, If any of the numerous promises
made had been kept, that the admins
tration doesn't wish their friends at
home to know until whatever is being
attempted is all over. And it is admit
ted by officials that there are differences
between General Otis and Mr.. Shurman,
president of the Philippine commission,
but claimed that the differences are
unimportant. The public doesn't care
a continental about the claims made
by officials, but it wishes to know and
feels that it has right to know what is
being done with our volunteers; hence
there is general feeling of rese ntment
against the suppression of official dis
patches.
One Of the principal reasons why
Secretary Alger desires to retain the
war portfolio, even when he knows that
Mr.. Mckinley would like to get rid of
him, will soon become apparent to close
observers, as it has been announced
that number of franchises for various
more or less valuable concessions in
| Porto Rico are shortly to be granted.
1t might naturally be supposed that
such franchises, II granted at all before
the establishment of the civil govern
| ment for the island, would be granted
by the military governor, but no chances
are to be taken by the men who are
after those franchises; they are to be
granted by Secretary Alger, and it is
dollars to ginger-cakes that every one
of them that is at all desirable, will be
captured by his friends and business
| associates.
In issuing a second elaborate defense
of Mr.. McKinley's civil service order,
Secretary Gage rather overdid his task,
without changing anybody's opinion.
Criticisms Of the order have made Mr..
Mckinley very sore, and he has en-
gagged in the explanation business him
self and even tried to get funny" by
telling how surprised senators and rep
resentatiyes have been who have come
after some of the places excepted from
the civil service rules and found that
they were all filled, and that no remov-
ais were contemplated. He also gave
out for publication O letter from the
board of the Smithsonian Institution.
asking that the heads Of all the bureaus
of that establishment be exempted from
the civil service rules. So much expla-
nation is calculated to increase rather
than diminish suspicion of that order.
The full significance OF the clause
which permits the reinstatement of any
government employe, regardless of how
long they have been out of the govern
ment service, is just beginning to be
seen. Under it every employe who
was dismissed during the two Cleveland
administrations can be reinstated, if
they have pull enough.
Southerners were pleased by the selec-
tion of ex-senator Pasco, of Florida,
as one of the nine commissioners named
by Mr.. Mckinley to make an investiga-
tion of the canal route across the
Isthmus. Representative Underwood,
of Alabama, declares that the people OF
his section regard provision for the
building of a canal one OF the most i'm
portant matters to come before the next
congress. The last congress appro-
priated 81 200, 600 for this commission.
1t was understood at the time that this
provision was the work of the lobbyists
employed by the Panama Canal Com
pany. Unless those who think they
know are badly mistaken, the Panama
Company is not likely to profit by the
commission, which is regarded as almost
sure to report in favor of the Nicaragua
route. How soon this commission will
report is matter OF doubt, but its
members have been requested to try to
do so before or during the next session
OF congress.
I /
A committee of distinguished Cubans
are in Washington to protest against
the order OF the war department sus-
pending all legal proceedings on debts
contracted before last December, In
Cuba, and to endeavor to get the order
revoked or at least modified. They say
| that the order is naralyZinU the