The Opelousas courier., 1900-12-15
Washington, ID. g., News.
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, Dec. 3, 1900.

w CS$' ~ AOON'
The reassembling of Congress
found the capital full of ugly and
sensational rumors connected
with the Isthmian Canal question.
Some of these rumors make
charges entirely too serious to be
repeated without proof of their
Itruthfulness, as to what has been
accomplished by the lobbyist en-
ployed by the Panama Canal
Company, in their efforts to de-
lay Congressional action author
izing the construction of the Nj
caragua Canal. But there are
some facts which speak for them
selves. Some time ago it was an
nounced in semi-oficial manner
that the report of the Canal Com.
mission would be strongly in fa-
vor of the Nicaragua route /; now
it is allowed to become known
that the report of the commission
will not specify preferable route
but will give its estimates of the
cost of the Canal by the Nicara-
qua route, and the cost of the
completion of the Panama Canal,
together with the terms upon
which this government can secure
control of the latter, and leave
Congress to decide for itself.
What brought about this change F;
That is the question that the ru-
mors deal with. The President
of the Panama Canal Company
had long conference with the
the Secretary Of the State, and
of course, everybody knows what
the gentleman is in Washington
for. Although the Nicaragua Ca
nal bill, which passed the House
at the last session was, by reso-
luton of the Senate, made
special order for Wednesday of
this week, a programme was ar
ranged by which the Ship Subsidy
bill will be used to side-track
the Canal bill, unless the pro-
gramme is upset by a majority
vote of the Senate. The Panama
Canal Company has caused one
great National scandal, which
disgraeed eminent Frenchmen,
and from present indications, it
may cause another that will dis
grace some prominent Americans.
Nominally the two brances of
Congress met to-day and ad-
journed without waiting to get
Mr.. McKinley's message, as a.
mark of respect to the late Sena-
tors Davis and Grear and mem
bers of the House who have died
since the last session, but in
reality the adjournment was for
the purpose of giving the repub-
licans a little more time to try
to reconcile their numerous diff
ferences and to get together on
legislative programme.
The jackson Democratic Asso-
citation, of Washington, is arrang-
ing for its annual celebration of
Jackson Day, January Sth next,
with as much enthusiasm as its
members could possibly have dis
played, had the party have been
victors in the late campaign. The
Jacksonians are of the same un-
daunte1 brand as was sold Hick-
ory'' himself, and the result of
campaigns cuts no figure in their
calculations when compared with
the principles they value more
than triumph.
Notwithstanding his previous
humiliating experiences in that
line, Secretary Root has again
smothered an important public
document on the ridiculous ground
that it is confidential matter not
intended to be made public. The
document in question is the re-
port made by an expert account
ant from the Treasury Depart
ment, who was sent to Cuba at
Secretary Roots request to go
thoroughly over the accounts of
Rathbone and Neeley. The real
reason for making it public is that
it shows the stealing in Cuba to
have been greater and more sys-
tematic than anybody had sup
posed. A similar report was
made by the accountant to the
Senate Committee on Relations
with Cuba, which has been trying
so hard not to comply with the
Senate resolution directing it to
investigate Cuban finances. Ii
these reports are not made public,
there is likely to be some plain
talk in Congress on the right Of
an official to suppress report
made by a minor official under or
ders and under public pay. If
such reports are not public docu-
ments, pray what are