The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-03-24
" Washington Letter.
From our regular CorresrouLer,

| From our regular Correspondence
WASHINGTON, d. G. March. 10, 1899.
In statement just made public
concerning the work of the last Con,
gress, Chairman Cannon. of the House
! Appropriation Committee gives a more
de'ailed statement OF the Appropria-
lions made than was possible for him
TO make earlier, and says: "During
the whole of the four years covered bv
Mr. Cleveland's second administration.
the material and industrial condition
OF the country was calamitous, and its
contemplation does not bring satisfac-
tlon to any American citizen. Eut
Ihe hfty-fifth congress, beginning with
the administration OF VIM. Mckinley
and promptly called in extraordinary
session, as promptly enacted legisla-
ton which has yielded the additional
revenues needed to pay the ordinary
expenses of the government, and has
at the same time protected American
labor. With the enactment of that
legislation, hope and confidence struck
hands and the condition of the whole
country improved and has continued
10 improve from that time to the pres
ent. Labor is now universally en-
ployed with increased wages, and with
such employment the means are SUD-
Piled for increased consumption. The
vast increase of the navy, and the
creation OF an army Of quarter of
million men, together with the in
crease OF taxation, have not in any ap-
preciable degree checked our indus
trial advance, which began co-irci-
dentally with the incoming of the
present administration and the fifty
fifth Congress"
The Navy Department has no ilfor
nation that Admiral Dewey's health
Is In precarlous condition; months
ago Admiral Dewey was given leave to
come home whenever he desired to do
so, and he has since renamed at his
post from choice, and because he de-
sired to complete the work in which
he is engaged. This is strictly official.
Gen. Brooke, Military Governor of
Cuba, and Gen. Otis, Military Cover
nor of the Philippines, have each been
authorized to enlist battalion of ma
tlves Tor the regular army if they con-
sider 1t wise to try the experiment..
The officers will, of course, be Ameri-
cans.
Administration officials are not at
all concerned over the renewed report
that Germany had succeeded in pur-
chasing the Caroline Islands from
Spain; they regard it as matter that
concerns only Spain and Germany,
and are consequently Indifferent as to
whether the report is true or other
wise.
Now that Gen. Lawton and the re-
lnforcements he carried with him have
joined General Otis, at Manila, it is
expected that rushing campaign will
at once be set in motion against the
and decisive results are look
ed for very soon. In late dispatches,
General Otis says he has information
that the whippings already admins
tered have made the rank and file of
the Filipinos anxious to give up, and
that it is all their leaders can do to
keep them in the field. AS the cam
paign against them is likely to con-
sist largely of bush fighting, Gen Law
toms extensive experience in Indian
lighting will make his services invalu-
able. The sort OF man Lawton is
may be judged 10y one of the names
given to him by hostile Indians IN the
West some years ago-"Man-who-gets
e-middle-of-the-
night" The War Department has
not required Gen. Otis to submit his
plans for the campaign against the
Filipinos, believing it to be better to
cave him free-handed to carry out the
campaign in his own way, doing ex-
actly as he may think best to scatter
Aguinaldo's forces and if possible, to
capture that slippery individual.