The Republican., 1899-07-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. d. c., July 18th. 1899

cruiting officers and greatly pleased
at the promptDess with which men
are enlisting-the average is nearly
400 a day,-for the hard service known
to be before them in the Philippines,
although he is not surprised. He has
an abiding faith that the patriotism
of Americans is strong enough to
promptly meet every call that it may
be necessary to make upon it. 1t is
now certain that the ten new regi-
ments of volunteers will be recruited
in time to be sent to Gen. Otis as soon
as he can use them, which will not be
until after the rainy season is over in
the Philippines.
Director Roberts, of the United
States Mint, has just returned from a
trip through the middle West He
said of what he observed money
is plentiful and the West seems to
have its share. In fact, there is so
much money that Nebraska banks,
for instance, are competing for COM
mercial paper in Chicago. with inter
est at low rate. | do not think this
has ever occurred before. Heretofore
the Western banks have never had
too much money, and have had to
borrow from Chicago and the East
Money is now going from the West to
the East, and this renders the money
market in the East easy; therefore,
American money is going to Europe,
where interest is higher.
There is not much talk of politics
in the West. The general understand
ing is that President Mckinley and
Mr.. Bryan will be re-nolnined Mr..
Mckinley will carry more western
States than he did three years ago,
and will obtain a much larger major
ity in Iowa than before Many Dem
ocrats who voted for Bryan told me
that they were satisfied with the sit
nation, and would vote for the re
election of Mckinley"
Senator Scott of West Virginia,
who has Just returned from q trip to
the Pacific coast, gave the Democrats.
who imagine that II successful cam
paign can be made on an anti-eXpan-
sion and free silver platform, Il val
liable pointer when he told them that
the Democrat most mentioned for
the presidential nomination out there
was Senator Morgan, of Alabama,
who is admired because of his work
in behalf of the Nicaragua Canal, his
robust expansion views, and his
hearty support of the foreign policy
of President Mckinley, during and
since the war with Spain.
Admiral Dewey has written that he
will arrive in New York harbor not
Later than October I. and that he may
possibly get there little earlier He
will receive such welcome and Ova-
tion as was never given to an Amer
lean, and the best part of it is that
he deserves all the honor that will be
given him There are other heroes
of the war with Spain, all Of whom
are honored by an appreciative and
patriotic people, but no man ever
did so much in a single day to raise
his country in the estimation of the
whole world as George Dewey did on
the memorable May day in Manila
harbor. Dewey is not only an Amer
lean hero, but he is a world-hero,
whose name will be known and hon
ored as long as brave deeds give men
places in the inches of the temple of
fame, and are recorded in song and
story
There was really nothing significant
in the fact that during three days,
when Secretary Alger and Assistant
Secretary Melllleiohn were away from
Washington, General Miles was act
ing Secretary of War. By statute
of the United States the Command
ing General of the Army is directed
to act az Secretary of War. during
the absence of the Secretary and
Assistant Secretary. This happened
to be the first time that both of those
officials had been absent at the same
time since before the war with Syain.
The fact that both of those officials
should have been absent at once
does indicate, however, that the re-
Iations between General Miles and
the War Department have somewhat
improved. 1t is very certain that
there was quite an extended period
during which General Miles would
not have been given an opportunity
TO act as Secretary of War, under
that law.
Ex-senator Wilson, OF the State OF
Washington, says expansion is not a
party question in his State, as it is
endorsed practically by the entire
population. He thinks there isn't the
slightest doubt of President McKin
ley's re- election by an increased ma,
jority, both in the popular vote and
in the electoral college. Like other
observant men who have recently
haan in the aNtrpme West Mr. Wilson