The Republican., 1900-12-20
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 1G, 1900

!
with the President in the making of
treaties. Therefore, when the Sen
ate in its wisdom saw fit to amend
the treaty with Great Britain that
had been negotiated by the Executive
branch of the government, it was
only exercising it's constitutional
right, and it is ridiculous TO say it
thereby furnished any legitimate
cause for the objection, either on the
part of President Mckinley or of the
government of Great Britain, and it
was an insult to the intelligence and
patriotism of Secretary Hay, who was
the Presidents personal representa-
tive in the negotiation of the treaty,
to circulate stories of his having
threatened to resign because the
treaty was amended. Why, the auth
or of bill passed by the House which
is amended by the Senate would have
as much justification for resigning
The large majority of the Senate,
which adopted the Davis amendment
to the treaty, by which this govern
ment reserves the right to control and
defend the Nicaragua Canal in it's
own way spoke for itself, and the
other proposed amendments, includ-
ing the abrogation of the Clayton
Bulwer treaty will doubtless get as
large a vote in the Senate. President
Mckinley does not regard this as any
reflection either on himself or Secre-
tary Hay, and when the amended
treaty is ratified, which it is hoped it
| will be before the Christmas recess,
he will at once forward it to the
British government. If the British
Government rejects it, that will be
its own affair. Opinion differs as to
whether the rejection of the treaty by
Great Britain would delay the Near
aqua Canal. 1t might delay the be-
| ginning of that Canal, but it is very
certain that the delay would only be
temporary, as it would arouse public
opinion in this country to a pitch
that would make the speedy compile
ton of the Nicaragua Canal GER
tainty.
The House opened the third week
of the session by taking up and pas
sing the regular pension appropria-
tion bill, which carries little more
than $145, 100000.
The House Ways and Means Com
mittee scored a triumph when the
Revenue Reduction bill was passed
by the House just as reported from
, the committee, with the exception of
one unimportant amendment strik-
ing out the clause which abolished
one-sixth and one. eighth beer barrels.
Chairman Payne has received many
congratulations
The Senate is still considering the
Ship Subsidy bill. When the session
opened, it was expected that this
measure would be passed before the
Christmas recess, but now vote is
not considered likely until well along
in January. One reason for this is
that some Senators who are interest
ed in trying to get amendments for
further reductions in the Revenue
Reduction bill, think they have more
chance for success if the Ship Subsidy
bill is not passed before the other is
taken up. There has been no attempt
on the part of the friends of the Ship
Subsidy bill to force vote, but no
other measure can be voted upon in
the Senate before it is, without their
consent.
Secretary Root made statement
before the Senate Committee on Mill
tary Affairs, which is considering the
Army Reorganization bill, recently
passed by the House, showing the
necessity forspeedy action on the BILL
in order that enlistments may be
| started under the new law in time to
get men in condition to take the
places of the volunteers whose time
will expire the first of next July. The
Committee decided that no further
hearings would be granted, and SEN
ator Hawley, Chairman, says no time
will be lost in getting the bill before
the Senate. Already many applica-
tions are being made to the President
for the smaller commissions in the re-
organized army, the general under
standing being that the appointment
of outsiders will, as a rule, be confined
to second lieutenantcies and that all
of that grade in the regular army will
be promoted.
In nothing is the great prosperity
of the country more strikingly shown
than in the growth of our exporta-
tion of manufactured metals. From
statistics already compiled at the
Treasury Department it is certain
that our exports of manufactured
metals will for the year ending Dec.