The Elbert County tribune., 1899-02-02


act take immediate effect
Not since the stirring days before the
declaration of war last spring has the
House witnessed such an exhibition 81
excitement and such scenes of I'M
bounded enthusiasm as occurred last
Wednesday. when two Republicans.
Mr.. johnson. the Indiana member. and
Mr.. Dolliver of Iowa. locked horns on
the question OF expansion. The army
bill, which was under. debate, was
swallowed up In the broader question
OF our future national policy and the
debate was lifted from the dead level
OF mediocrity into absolute brilliancy.
The debate on the army reorganiza-
tion bill opened in the house Tuesday
under an agreement by which the gen
eral debate is to run fifteen hours, ex-
elusive OF three night sessions, the
final vote to be taken not later than 3
o'clock next Tuesday. Practically
three propositions are before the
House. the House bill providing for a
standing army OF 100000 men. the NIL
nority substitute increasing the stand
ing army to 10000 men and lodging
with the President discretionary pow
err to call out $4,000 volunteers for
emergency service, and a proposition
to continue temporarily the regular
army at its present war strength, 62,-
600 men.
The retaliation clause In the agricul-
tural appropriation bill now under con-
sideration in the Senate committee pro-
vides that whenever any government
shall impose unreasonable restrictions
upon foods imported from the United
States, or shall refuse to accept the
certificate of the food Inspectors of the
inf. axtf elt
have the authority TO direct the secre-
tary of the treasury to inspect any arti-
Gle of food imported into the United
States from that country in order to
determine its purity and wholesome
ness. He also has the authority to
examine toys and any other articles
which may be suspected Of contain
ing poison or being in any way injuri-
GUS to the public health.
The case of Commissary Genera
Charles +. Eagan, charged with con
duct unbecoming an officer and gen
tleman, and with conduct tending &c
the prejudice of good order and mill
tary discipline, closed Friday. The
taking of testimony was finished and
arguments of counsel submitted. The
trial had lasted three days and con-
sumed less than eight hours of actual
sitting. A session behind closed doors
of an hour or so sufficed for the court
to reach a conclusion and cmbody 1t in
its report. What verdict was reached
is altogether matter of speculation.
and officially, Mt least, will not be made
public by the trial board. military reg
ulations requiring that its findings go
through prescribed channels and be
kept secret until action be had and pro
mulgated by the proper reviewing au-
| I iG
the verdict will be against Eagan.
Mr. Grosvenor of Ohio, in speech
on the army bill Thursday, said the
President had been criticised for not
informing Congress of his ultimate
purpose regarding the Philippines. The
President was never a usurper; he had
never sought and never would seek to
usurp the authority of Congress. The
| future of the islands was matter for
| Congress to decide. The blood of those
who might be sacrificed in the Philip
pines would be upon the heads of
those who opposed the Presidents pol
icy. The. President had nobly dis
charged his duty when he found him
self by the accident of war in possess
sion of the Philippines. In conclusion,
MIR. Grosvenor challenged anyone to
deny, first, that the President had devi
|
Congress; second, that he had usurped
any authority he was not compelled to
assume. and. third that the settlement
Of the Philippines was question for
the future.
The secretary of war has completed
the organization of colonial commits
sion to undertake the administration
here In Washington, of all matters of
detail respecting the government of the
| territories acquired during the war or
occupied by the United States forces.
| The personnel of the commission will
be General Robert p. Kennedy of
Bellefontaipe, Ohio; Curtis Guild. Jr.,
Of Massachusetts, and George w. Wat
kins of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Up
to this point the secretary and the as
sistnnt secretary have undertaken
themselves to deal with the admins
tration of insular affairs, but the ques-
tions involved have become so numer-
GUS and complicated that 1t has been
found absolutely necessary to call for
assistance. The commission will deal
with the bestowal of franchises and
concessions, the distribution of moneys
to be spent in public improvements and
all Of the troublesome issues that have
arisen and are likely to arise In Cuba,
Porto Rico and the Philippines.
While formal exchanges have not
taken place. there is an understanding
between the United States and Great
Britain with reference to the Nicara-
qua canal. This understanding is the
result Of recent conferences between
Secretary Hay and Sir Julian Paunce-
fote, the British ambassador. Great
Britain Is willing to abrogate the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty and to enter into n
new arrangement which has been sug-
gested on the part of the United States.
This arrangement, as outlined. is that
the canal when opened shall be neu-
tralized. The United States is to CON
struct and operate the canal. but MT
the proper time a conference of nations
is to be called and an agreement is to
be entered into whereby the canal
shall be open In war, as well as in
peace, to ships of all nations on the
same terms. In other words, the canal
is to be neutral territory for the whole
world. This proposition is said to bt
entirely acceptable to Great Britain.
That power will readily consent to nc
cept 1t as substitute for the Clayton
Bulwer treaty. On the part of the
United States there seems to be no OBJ
lection to It,.
The opposition to the army reorroni.
zation bill on the Republican side of
the House has become SO strong that
chairman Hull, on Friday, after Mr..
Henderson of Iowa, one of the floor
leaders OF the majority, had threatened
10 vote TO recommit the bill, decided II
would be wise, In order to secure It's
passage, TO abandon the idea of provid-
ing directly for regular army Of
loo,VOO men. He announced on the
moor that the committee would offer