The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-02-09
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


him against the ratification of the
treaty of peace, could see themselves
as others see them, they would hang
their heads for shame. There never
was more unnecessary introduction
of personal peanutpolitics in a matter
involving the honor of the country
than the fight against the treaty,
which ended with the vote i'll the
Senate today-unnecessa because
every man who engaged in it knew
from the first that ratification of the
treaty was absolutely certain in any
event, if not by today's vote, by the
Senate in an extra session. Knowing
this, there was no excuse for the fight;
it showed no other purpose than to
show that nearly all of the democrat
lie Senators were more willing to fol-
low the advice of German than that
of Bryan, even though they had to
vote against the wishes of great
majority of their constituents, to do
so. Not few of these Senators have
already been repudiated by their con-
stituent, and will retire at the close
of this session of Congress, and all of
them deserve the same fate.
The War Investigating Commission
has completed its report, which will
be handed to President Mckinley
this week. 1t is expected that the
President will very shortly make the
report public, and that, as result of
a portion of it, a 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 trouble for the contractors; if not,
there will be trouble for Gen. 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 Nc
Kinley, who is only anxious that the
truth shall be shown so clearly as to
leave no doubt in the mind of any
unprecedented man, and determine
wherever wrong doing shall be shown,
that the guilty shall be punished, re
gardless of persons or consequences.
Wl,i1A YNnfhi,,fr of Io1 H.
nOunced concerning the finding of
the Eagan Court Martial, which is
now in President McKinley's hands,
there are reasons for the belief that
the President has decided what ac-
tion he will take, and that his action
will be to modify the sentence of dis
missal from the army to suspension
from active duty.
Gov. Shaw, of Iowa, who passed
through Washington on his way
home from a visit to New York, was
impressed by the Iowa Republican
Association, and persuaded into an
informal talk on public affairs. His
remarks about the Philippines were
right to the poiat. He said: eff an
nexation means that the Philippines
should ultimately be admitted as
states, then there is not an expansion
list in this country; if anti-eXpansion
means that the archipelago should
be returned to Spain, then there is
not one anti-eXpansionist in America.
If anti-eXpansion does mean that we
should not deny the right of self-gov-
eminent to people competent to GOV
ern themselves, then we are all anti
eXpansiOnists." In other words, Gov.
Shaw told his hearers that the policy
of this government would always
lean toward the freedom rather than
the enslaving of people, notwith-
standing the ranting of those who
pretend to fear the contrary.
When the House adopts the resolu-
ton reported from the Judiciary
Committee, declaring that the four
Representatives who accepted com
missions in the army, thereby vacat-
ed their seats in Congress, as it will,
it will merely put on official record
what has been practically accepted
by the four gentlemen most directly
concerned, neither of whom has per
formed any official duty in the House.
or drawn any salary since recepting
their army commissions.
The outlook for Nicaragua Canal
legislation at this session, was bright
ened considerably when the House
Committee on Interstate and Foreign
Commerce made the amended Hep
burn bill q substitute for the Nor
gan bill, which has been passed by
the Senate, instead of reporting it as
an entirely seperate bill. The early
passage Of the substitute by the
House would send the bill to a con
ference committee, which ought to
be able to agree upon a measure
that would be fairly satisfactory to
those who wish the Canal built at