Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-02-09
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular CoTespondenD
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9th, 1899

From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Feb 9th, 1899.
If the Senators who aided Sena-
tor German in his fight against Mr..
Bryan's leadership of the Demo-
cratic party, to the extent of voting
with him against the ratification of
the treaty of peace, could see
themselves as others see them,
they would hang their heads for
shame. There was never Il more
unnecessary introduction of per-
sonal peanut politics in Il matter
involving the honor of the country
than the fight against the treaty
which ended with the vote in the
Senate to-day-unnecessary, be-
cause every man who engaged in it
knew from the first that ratifca-
tiOn of the treaty was absolutely
certain in any event, if not by to-
days vote, by the Senate in an
extra session. Knowing this,
there was no excuse for the fight:
III served no other purpose Than to
show that nearly all of the Demo-
cratic Senators were more willing
to follow the advice of German
rather that of Bryan, even though
they had to vote against the wishes
of great majority of their con
stituents to do so. Not few of
these Senators have already been
repudiated by their constituents,
and will retire at the close of this
session OF Congress, and all of them
deserve the same fate.
The War Investigating Commits
sion has completed its report,
which will be handed to President
Mckinley this week. 1t is ex-
pected that the President will very
shortly make the report public,
and that, as a result of a portion
of it, Il military inquiry will be
ordered Of the charges made by
Gen. Miles concerning the quality
of the beef furnished the army by
The contractors, during the war
with Spain, which will give Gen.
Miles an opportunity to substantiate
his charges. If he can do so, there
will be very serious trouble for the
contractors; if not, there will be
trouble for General Miles. While
there is some personal enmity
between Secretary Alger and Gen.
Miles, it is not and has not been,
at any time, shared by President
Mckinley, who is only anxious
that the truth shall be shown so
clearly as to leave no doubt in the
mind of any unprejudiced man,
and determined wherever wrong
doing shall be shown, that the
guilty shall bepunished, regardless
of persons or consequences.
While nothing official has been
announced concerning the finding
of the Eagan CourtMartial, which
is now in President McKinley's
hands, there are reasons for the
belief that the President has de-
cided what action he will take, and
that his action will be to modify
the sentence of dismissal from the
army to suspension from active
duty.
Now that the treaty is out of the
way, the Senate Committee on
Military Affairs will endeavor to
push the Hull Army bill, recently
passed by the House, to the front
and keep it there until passed.
One of the amendments to this bill
agreed upon by the Senate Com
mittee, provides for a revival of the
grade of Lieutenant-General.
Gov. Shaw, of Iowa, who passed
through Washington on his way
home from visit to New York,
was impressed 10y the Iowa Repub-
lican Association, and persuaded
into an informal talk on public
affairs. His remarks about the
Philippines were right to the point.
He said 'If annexation means
that the Philippines should ulti-
mately be admitted as States, then
there is not an eXpansionist in this
country; il anti-eXpansiOn means
that the archipelago should be re-
turned to Spain; then there is not
one anti-eXpansionest in America.
If anti-eXpansion does mean that
we should not deny the right of