The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1900-12-01
4INt;roN= LkifkR.

me increase III the army hutiisa 10
that he has received hint that the
decision of the IT, S. Supreme Court
will be against the eonstitutionality
of the Porto Rico act, which would
mean that the U, S, would have to
relinquish ownership of the Philip
pines, and would consequently have
no use for a large standing army.
He wishes to get the big army pro-
vided for before the court hands
down it's decision, and it will not be
surprising if the Attorney General
so manipulates the case as to pre-
vent its conclusion until after the end
of this Congre- S, as Mr., Mckinley
might prefer not having Congress in
session should the decision be averse.
This story sounds incredulous. but it
is being seriously talked about IN
n.
political circles, and thele hasve hAaan
other cases in which administra.
tiohs have been given advance hints
of important decisions of the Su.
preme Court. Any member Of the
court can usually make a pretty
nearly correct guess of how his col.
leagues will stand upon important
decisions from their talk in a general
way to each other Whether the
whole story is correct or not, it is
absolutely certain that Mr.. McKln-
ley is plainly showing his anxiety Of
the speedy passage by Congress oi
the Army bill.
The Isthmian Canal Commission
has handed Mr. Mckinley its pre-
liminary report. As expected it
favors the Nicaragua route tor the
Canal. The Panama Company's
lobbyists are moving Heaven and
earth to prevent legislation by Con-
gress, IN favor Of the Nicaragua Ca
nal.
According to Representative Hull,
Chairman of the House Committee
on Military Affairs, which is now
trying to put together an army bill
that will be supported by all the. re-
publicans, many of whom have pub
licly expressed widely differing opin-
ions of what the bill should provide
for, especially as to the number of
men, the volunteers in the Philippines
will not be brought home until regu-
lars, enlisted under the bill not yet
written can be sent to take their
places. AT least, that is fair con-
struction to place upon Mr. Hull's
wv Worus-' he army now III the
Philippines will have to be brought
home in the summer, that is, those
of the men who do NOT care to re-en-
list. The transports which go out
for them should depart laden with
the troops who are to replace them. p"
Representative Champ Clark, of
Mo-, returned to Washington, feel
ing as chippy as usual. He said: II
am not downcast or discouraged by
the licking we got. The most un-
pleasant featurels it will take us six
or eight years to get the Senate, As
to the proposition to reorganize the
democratic party, it is fact in nat
ural history that the tail can not
wag the dog; and the same is true
in politics. The party does not need
recognizing to begin with 1t is
thoroughly organized. and even if it
were to be reorganized, it would not
be from the outside. We want ev.
erybody to come in that feels like
helping us, but we have a perfect
organization of our own" Of the
probable work of this session of
Congress Mr.. Clark said: II think
this will be an extremely busy session.
The main thing the republicans will
do will be to ratify the Hay-Paunce.
fote treaty and pass a Nicaragua
Canal bill, in accordance whit, and
to pass Mark Hanna's ship subsidy
bill. II the Supreme Court decides
the Porto Recan act demonstrations
al, then the republicans will run
races with us as to which will drop
the Philippines first. But if it is de-
cided to be constitutional, then this
session OF Congress willhave to pass
some kind of bill for the govern
ment and control of the islands.
This, with the routine measures and
the new apportionment under the
last census will make it an exceed
ingly busy session.
The reception of the proposition
advanced by the radical republicans
to reduce the representation OF the
Southern states which have restricted
negro suffrage, has been of such gen.