The Opelousas courier., 1900-08-04
Washington, ID. G., News.
From our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, July 30, 1900.

Washington, July 30, 1900.
For the first time prominent off:
cials are willing to admit the prob,
ability of an extra session Of Con-
gress having to be called to deal
with the Chinese situation. With
all his assumptions of imperial au-
thority, Mr.. Mckinley will not dare
to declare war, and a declaration
of war upon China by other powers
whose citizens have been killed
may be expected any day. 1t has
been limited that Mr.. Mckinley
would withdraw American troops
if the other powers declare war
against China and let the foreign
ers do all the fitting, but the
American people will have some
thing to say about that. The muir
der of q number of American mis-
sionaries has been fully authenti-
Gated, and the people are only
waiting for authentic news of the
fate of the American minister and
other Americans in Pekin who are
believed also to have been muir
dered. When they know that the
people will let Mr.. Mckinley know
their will as they did about the war
with Spain, and he and congress
will obey, as they did then.
The fact that an officer of the
Cuban Military Government Maj.
L. Z. Ladd, Treasurer-should
have given out an interview i'm
Washington, against the with
dral of the U. S. troops from Cuba
and the fitness of the Cubans for
self-goyernment, with the usual rot
about the "better classes" being in
favor of permanent American con-
troll of the island, strengthens the
suspicion that the announced with
drawal of the U. s. from Cuba,
was made for effect in the political
campaign in this country rather
than with the intention of being car
ried out in good faith. tits not con-
ceivable that q subordinate army
officer would have allowed himself
to be publicly quoted, as Major
Ladd had done, if he had not
known that his sentiments were
those held by his official superiors.
The tendency of this administra-
ton to follow the imperialistic pol
icy of government without Con
gressional authority, was again en-
phasized by the announcement
eabled from Madrid-getting news
of what our government is doing
from foreign capitals, is not pleas
ing to the average American, al
though it has become quite promi.
nent under the Mckinley regime,
that this government had offered
Spain 800, 900 for the two islands
of the Philippine group which
we're not covered by the boundary
line named in the treaty Of peace
with Spain. 1t is the theory of
this government that the Execu-
tive branch can pay out no money
that has not been specifically ap-
propriated by Congress for par
ticular purpose, but that theory
has been departed from several
times under the present admins
tration, beginning with the lump
sum of 5O,OOO,OOO placed at Mr..
McKinley's disposal to prepare for
the war with Spain. That depar
ture was justifable under the Cir
cumstances and was authorized
by the unanimous vote of Con-
gress, bnt there have been other
departures which were neither JUS
tifable nor authorized, and this
offer to purchase more islands is
one of them. 1t was known last
winter that Spain had laid claim to
these two islands, but instead of
referring the matter to Congress,
the administration announced that
Spain had been notified that its
claim would. not be recognized.
That was supposed to have ended
the matter, until the Spanish gov
ernment informed the world that
this government had offered tQTpayI
800, 900 for the islands. III Con
gress was not republican il both
branches and thoroughly domi-
mated by the imperial a6ministra-
ton, it would call dGrzn this
unconstitutional usurpation # au-
thority, and demand to know from
what fund this 100000 is to be
taken. There is an Emergency
fund at tire disposal of the admin
istration, but it is certain that
those who voted TO appropriate it
never contemplated the use Of any
portion of it for the purchase OF
the islands. IF this republic is to
be preserved as established, a gov
erment must be put in power that
will follow the precepts laid down
by the Constitution, which the
Democratic platform pledges
Bryan and Stevenson to do. Sen
ator Vest was right when he de-
clared that the great issue OF this
campaign was republic or empire,
with the Democratic party stand
ing for the republic and the Repub-
lican party standing for the EN-
pire.
zone of the results of Hanna's
survey of the situation" said one
Republican to another, "has been
L. EN h