Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-11-18
The Politician.


even a little bit by the knowledge that
he is to flll the exalted position Of
speaker of the House during a Con-
gress whicL promises to be one of the
most important for many years. He
has engaged the same quarters in
Washington for himself and family
that they have occupied for years, Ow-
ing to his accurate knowledge of the
capabilities of all the old members,
Col. Henderson will have no difficulty
in making tie important committee
assignments of he House. There are
reasons for the belief that few changes
will be made in the chalrmanships, as
Col. Henderson knows that such men
as Cannon. chairman of the committee
on Appropriations, and Hit, chairman
of e committee on Foreign Affairs,
have become fitted by their long en-
perience to do better work than new
men could possibly do. 1t is predicted
by those who ought to- have pretty good
ideas on the subject that there will be
more changes in the committees on
Banh.ng and Currency than in any one
of the important committees. The old
chairman of that committee, Walker,
of Massachusetts, was not a candidate
for reelection to the present House.
That is the committee which will re-
port the financial bill which it is be-
lleved the House will pass early in the
coming session.
President Mckinley is anxious to go
to Nashville to participate in the well
come to the Tennessee volunteers, who
were the last to leave the Philippines;
he desires to show his appreciation of
their conduct in leaving the transport
after having embarked for home to re-
turn 10 the fighting line. If he can
get his message to Congress completed
by that time, he will probably go to
Nashville on the 9th inst
The loss of the cruiser Charleston,
which was wrecked on an uncharted
coral reef off the coast Of Luzon, was
the direct result of the careless man
ner in which the Spanish do every
ling. AS soon as the insurrection is
,..sposed of the Navy Department will
have a correct chart of Philippine
waters made, so as to avoid such acci-
dents in the future. In fact, the Ben
nington has been engaged in the work
of making correct chart of those
waters for some time. While there is
much regret at the loss of the Charles
ton, everybody rejoices that none of
her brave crew were lost or injured by
the wreck.
Admiral Dewey and his bride re-
turned to their Washington home this
week, and one of the first things done
by the Admiral after his return was to
sign the papers transferring the house
recently presented to him to his bride,
Postmaster General Smith delivered
the address of welcome to the first
class postmasters composing the Nat
ional Association of Postmasters,
which held its second national conven-
ton in Washington this week.
The Navy Department is consider
ing proposition to have the bodies OF
the crew of the battle ship Maine
brought from Havana and Key West
and inferred in Arlington cemetery,
with appropriate cermonies of nat
ional character, on the 18th OF next
February, which will be the anniver-
sary of the blowing up of the Maine in
Havana harbor Those who are
pushing the suggestion expect to sue
ceed, not only in getting the bodies in
terred in Arlington cemetery but in
getting Congress toprovidea fine mon
ument for them.
General Miles annual report, which
is short and formal, reiterates his rec
ommendation oDat the strength of the
regular army be based in the popula-
ton OF the country-one soldier to eV-
cry 1000 inhabitants.
Recent experiments with wireless
telegraphy having shown that ships
thirty-six miles apart could accurately
communicate with each other by the
use of the Marconi system, Secretary
Long may ask Congress to provide for
the equipping of a number of our war
ships with Marconl instruments; but
it is by no means certain that he will
do so, as the same reason thatprevent-
ed the War Department doing business
with Marconi when he was in Wash
ington-uncertainty as to the validity
of his patents--may cause Secretary
Longe to leave the matter alone for the
present.
Secretary Root had to laugh when
he read the sensational statement that
lis government was trying to nego-
tlate with Aguinaldo. The "negotia-
tlon" referred to consisted of the for
warding, at the request of the govern
ment of Spain, of message to Gen.
Otis, directing him to get it to Aguin-
aldo If possible. This message was
demand for humane treatment of the
Spanish prisoners in Aguinaldo's
hands, and it was accompanied by
notification that this government
would hold the Filipinos to strict
accountability for any mistreatment of
prisoners, either Spanlards or Ameri-
cans, and, as the nearness of his own
finish must be apparent to him, Aguln-
aInn Is likely to heed IL. IL IL can be