The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-02-15
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, Feb. IL, 1900

ahead OF English military generalshlp
has once more been proven by the
Nicaragua Canal treaty, sent to the
Senate this week, which instead of
being received with shouts OF APP
proval, as Mr.. Mckinley seemed to
think it ought to be, has been met
with stern protests, even from sup
porters of the administration. Al
though England is in position where
it would have agreed to almost any
thing proposed by this government,
which is almost its only friend among
the nations of the world, the English
diplomats got exactly what they want
ed. To reduce the treaty to every
day language, England graciously
agrees that we shall build the Mica
ragua Canal with American money,
provided that she and all other nations
shall have equal use of the canal both
in peace and in war and that the U.
S. agrees never to fortify either end
OF the canal. Unless many Senators
change their present attitude, this
treaty will not be ratified, unless its
present jug-handled features are cut
out. The sentiment in both branches
of Congress, regardless ofparty, favors
the construction of the Nicaragua
Canal by this government, provided
that we have absolute control of it,
which means, of course, the right to
close it to our enemies in time OF war.
After all their bluff and bluster, the
republican Senators are afraid of going
before the country squarely on the
issue of the single gold standard, and
last week the majority of the Finance
committee reported the old inter.
national bimetallsm bamboozler as an
amendment. The amendment, which
merely says that the bill is not intend
ed to place any obstacle in the way of
the accomplishment of international
blmetallism, is too palpable humbug
to fool any man, but it is intended to
ease the consciences of such so.caled
republican bimetallists as Senator
Chandler, who was instrumental in
getting the amendment reported, and
to give such western silver republicans
as care to take advantage of it an op-
portunity to sneak into the gold camp.
Representative Williams, of Miss,
one of the leading democratic mem
bers of the House Committee on
Foreign Affairs, made strong speech
against the annexation Of the Philip
pines, meeting the republicans on
their own plane of dollars and cents
and showing wha, poor business 1t
would be in the end. He ridiculed
the idea which political necessity has
caused the republican leaders IN both
House and Senate to adopt-that the
U. 5. does not include the territories
of the U. Sand predicted its over
throw by the Supreme Court. The
closing words of Mr.. Williams, which
were greeted with applause, follow:
81 am much more opposed to annexa-
tion OF the Philippines in Its old his
torlc American sense than l am to the
new-fangled doctrine of imperialism.
AS much as l would hate to see the
Declaration of Independence thrown
to the winds, as much as | would hate
to see the historical landmarks of
Washington's Farewell Address for
gotten, as much as | should hate to
see the Constitution amended SO that
we might have subjects, l would rather
change the Constitution, l would
rather be relegated to the unwritten
constitution of England, to the com
mon law itself, than to admit eleven
million of barbarians like that to share
and share alike with me and my child
rem and my grandchildren in moldng
the destinles of this great republic,
the last hope of all the ages for popu-
lar freedom and for the demonstra
.ion Of the fact that man can govern
himself"
Senator Caffery in speech, show
ing by Constitutional law that if We
) keep the Philippines its inhabitant.
) will become full-hedged citizens of the
U. S., paid this high compliment te
Senator Hoar: 81 am glad that Mass
achusetts has on this floor a worth,
successor of Webster and Sumner
and that he stands forth as the guard
f; ian of constitutional right and con
I stitutional law"
The activity of those who ar
scheming to add to the already enor
nous amount OF money paid by thi
government for pensions may b
Judged when Senator Gallinger, chair
man of the Senate committee on Per
!, sions, who is traliberal in his idea
ON the subject, publicly states that
:. the bills now before his committe
:, should become laws it would bank
rupt the country to make the pay