The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-05-11
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D, c., May sth, 1896

w ASHlNGTON. ~, u, May SUQ, 1879.
President Mckinley has gone to the
Virginia Hot Springs where he and
Mrs. Mckinley will remain for about
two weeks. He is not sick, and, al
though the rest is taken by order of
his physician, it is more in the ma
ture of an eXemplification of the
adage IAN ounce of prevention is
worth pound of cure, " than because
it is an absolute necessity at this time.
He is run down and has recently been
a sufferer of rheumatism, and it seems
an impossibility for a President to get
any rest in Washington. In case
there should be any urgent necessity
for his presence, he could reach Wash
ington in eight hours. Before leav-
ing President Mckinley approved the
report made by the Military Court of
Inquiry, which will at once be made
public. There is no truth in the
rumor that Gen. Miles is either to be
removed from the command of the
army or court-martialed as a result of
the report.
Judging from the latest Philippine
advices, the end is near, and no sur
prise would be felt in official circles
should Aguinaldo's formal surrender
occur any day. The rebels have
acknowledged themselves fought to a
standstill, and were it not for the
efforts of Aguinaldo and the other
Filipino leaders to secure promises
that they would be given positions
under the local government, similar
to those which have been given Cuban
officers in Cuba, the surrender would
have taken place before now. They
will get no promises other than the
general one made by the Philippine
Commission, that pending the final
disposition of the matter by Congress,
the islands would be given home rule
to as great an extent as might be
found consistent with American in
terests. The semi-official announce
ment that Admiral Dewey contem-
plates an early return to the United
States is taken to mean that he sees
his services will not be needed over
there much longer.
Representative Gardiner, of New
Jersey, who always has opinions of
his own, said: II am not inclined to
think, with many, that Mr.. Bryan is
the weakest candidate the democrats
could put up. On the contrary, it is
my belief that he is infinitely stronger
than any Eastern man the democrats
might name. Whitney or German
couldn't begin to poll the votes the
Nebraskan would command. | am
also positive that Bryan was defeated
in '96, not because Of his advocacy of
silver, but because the working classes
were aroused to the necessity of once
more getting back to a protective
tariff. If silver had been the only
issue the democrats might have tri-
umphed, but they lost because the
wage-earners repudiated free trade,
which, as illustrated by the Wilson
bill, had come pretty near running
the country
Secretary Wilson obtained so much
useful agricultural information dur
ing his recent trip to South Carolina,
that he has arranged to leave Wash
ington this week upon similar trip,
which will include visits to Louisiana,
Mississippi, Texas, and possibly sew
eral adjacent states.
President Mckinley hasn't told any
body that there would be an extra
session of Congress, simply because
he has not fully decided to call one.
he has talked the. matter over with
prominent republicans and has init
mated his belief that circumstances
will probably make it wise to call
Congress together in advance of the
regular session in December, and has
advised Senators and Representative
to make their plans accordingly.
That is as far as the matter has gone.
There may or may not be an extra
session, the House cannot hope to get
down to business before the LIST of
January, because the new Speaker
could not get the Committee arranged
before that date. An extra session
would enable all that to be done be-
forehand, and would undoubtedly
greatly expedite legislation of all
kinds. Many think, also, that it
would be good politics to call an extra
session, not only because it would
shorten the Speakership contest, but
because it would give more time to
act upon the financial bill, which has
been prepared by the House Caucus
Committee, and allow it to get before
the country and be fully discussed
and understood before the excitement
of the Presidential Campaign begins
The need of legislation for our new
possessions, especially Hawaii and
Porto Rico, is also an argument for
an extra session.
Secretary Alger has returned to
Washington and resumed his duties.
In reply to questions, he said that he
had nothing to add to what he said in
Michigan about his being candidate
to succeed Senator Mcmillan.
AS a rule, republican representa-
tives resent the attempt, which they
FAY is being made by outsiders, to
make the Speakership contest a sec
tional fight of the West against the
East, and present indications are that
the attempt will fail, and that it will
be solely contest of men in which
sectionalism will not be an important
factor.