Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-03-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.
from our Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON. March II. 1900.

WASH1EdTUNs m4Kcu IL, SVVs
The amendment of the Nicaragua canal
treaty, giving this country the right to
defend and control the canal in time Of
war, although props sed by Republican,
Senator Davis, was Democratic triumph.
because the amendment is an unqualified
endorsement of the position taken by the
Democrats when the treaty was first made
public. AS amended, the treaty wild
probably receive the votes of enough Dem
ocratic Senators to make its ratification
reasonably certain, although there are
features 10 it that will prevent some DEM
Ocrats from voting for its ratification.
Are the majority Of the Senate afraid of
England Their action, when Senator
Mason compelled the Senate to take mp his
resolution, expressing sympathy for the
Beers, certainly looked that way. The
majority refuse to allow the resolution to
be discussed in open session. because things
would be said that might offend England.
Ye Gods this sort of talk in the American
Senate, where men who criDged to no
foreign friend or foe, once upon time
fearlessly expressed their opinion and time
after time have spoken in favor of down
troden peoples, without stopping to think
whether their oppressors would like it or
not. Now, as soon as anything affecting
England is even mentioned, the majority
orders the doors closed. What picture
for the American people to contemplate
Even in secret session, the administration
Senators are afraid to allow Senator Mason's
resolution to be squarely voted upon. Their
programme is to throttle it by having a.
majority vote to lay it on the table If
the So called era of friendship with Eng
land is to result in squelching our Amer
icanism and our love for liberty, the sooner
it comes to an end, the better for us as a
people.
Whether General Joe Wheeler takes his
seat in the House depends upon Mr.. Nc
KinleY. Under date of November Is, 1898,
General Wheeler forwarded his recognition
as Brigadier General of Volunteers from
the Philippines, to Mr.. Mckinley. If Mr..
Mckinley accepts the resignation to take
effect on that date which was before the
assembling Of Congress, nc objection will
be raised TO General Wheeler taking his
seat in the House.
In order to get Republican votes enough
in the Senate to pass the Porto Rican
tariff bill, numerous amendments have
been agreed to, among them one to admit
all goods from the United States to Porto
Rico free of duty. And it may be neces.
sary to reduce the duty on Porto Rican
products below the fifteen per cent, pro
yided for in the House bill. It will be
long time before the hard feelings aroused
among Republicans by this bill pass away,
and Republicans admit that it is likely to
cost them number of seats in the House.
As though there were not already sufi
L. e I-k- L.
Mckinley and his party in Congress, new
and serious one has turned up in the
reciprocity treaty with France. Mr.. Nc
Kinley is insisting that the Senate shall
ratify the treaty at the present session,
while leaders in his party in the Senate,
knowing the extent of the party opposition
to the treaty. wish to let the matter 20
over until the next session, under the pre-
tense that the Committee on Finace wishes
time to make an exhaustive investigation
into the effect the treaty will have upon
our revenues, if ratified. Neither side has
yet won, but the Senators know that they
have only to hold out to make Mr.. Nc
Kinley back down, as he has done in every
controversy he has had with his party
leaders in Congress
A new and interesting bit of political
gossip is that Mr. Mckinley is seriously
think ng of making a scape-goat of Score
tary Hay, with the hope of squaring him
self with the numerous and Influential
Republicans who have been makiug Vigor-
Gus protests against the too English
Foreign policy of the administration. Ii
would be nothing new for Mr. Mckinley
to sacrifice a friend tc serve his own politi.
cal interests, but in this particular case il
is doubtful whether the sacrifice would do
more than add to the country's belief in
the adroitness of Mr.. Mckinley in looking
out for number one. Mr.. Hay is inviting
the sacrifice by his talk against the amend
ment of the Nicaragua Canal treaty.
A joint resolution, intended to give Gen
Miles promotion, has been offered in Senate
and House, by Senator Lodge and Repre-
sentative Moody, of Massachusetts. Ii
provides that the senior Major General
when in command of the army, shall have
the FssEs k-s fs5 pay IIziissst General and
shall be retired with that rank. The
administration has quistly opposed all
along this line because Of the
pail of Adjutant General Corbin. who is
bitterly hostile to General Miles, and it
will probably do the same in this case.
as Tue result ol weeks WORK. the he
publicans of the House have unseated two
Democrats, one from Alabama and one
from Virginia-and seated two Republi-
cans.
The Senate sat down quick and hard on
Senator Hoar's scheme to give ex Queen
Lii, Of Hawaii, $4,000. and a yearly PEN
sion of $4,000. We haven't reached the
stage yet Of willingly paying pensions to
ex-royalties. either white or chocolate
cOlored.