Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-12-26
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 26, 1900.
WASHINGTON Letter.
I From our Regular Co-responder

January 3, and for once nobody cal
deny that it has fully earned its
Christmas recess. At few, if any
sessions has so much been accom-.
plished before the holiday recess. Be.
sides the legislation actually disposed
of, the house committees have nearly
all the regular appropriation bills
that have not been reported about
ready to be reported after the recess.
The senate committees have also done
much work. The appropriation bills
passed by the house are all in good
shape, and the committee on military
affairs has substitute for the army
reorganization bill ready to be re-
ported. This bill differs in several
important particulars from the bill
passed by the house, but the strength
OF the reorganized army remains the
same-a minimum of Sc, 900 men and .
maximum of 100000. The clause in
the original bill abolishing the ''army
canteen" has been struck out and one
inserted providing that beer but no
other form of intoxicant may be sold
in the post exchanges. This action
is the result of the testimony given By
army officers in favor of the sale Of
beor to the soldiers, to keep them
away from the dives and speak easies
which always abound in the neighbor-
hood of army posts. 1t is likely to be
sharply antagonized by the opponents
of the canteen when the bill gets be-
fore the senate.
The American people love courage,
whether moral or physical. Therefore
they will not fail to give Secreta ry
Hay full credit for his moral courage in
making an official statement in which he
assumes absolute responsibility for the
wording of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty
which the senate SO radically amended
before ratifying. Secretary Hay said
in that statement: Whatever Odium
there is in connection with the 80
called Hay-Pauncefote treaty rests en-
tirely with the state department. The
compact was drawn up entirely by
the state department and submitted
to Great Britain with the result
that it was approved without change,
even to the crossing of ''t' Or the
dotting of an 81 Every line. word
and letter of the treaty is as it was
prepared by the state department. y
This effectually disposes of the string OF
ridiculous stories alleging that the
treaty had been written by Lord
Pauncefote, or in the British foreign
Office, in London, and other idiOtic
things It also makes it evident that
there are no insurmountable obstacles
In the way of the acceptance of the
amended treaty by Great Britain.
Captain William Folger, command
ing the United States steamer Kear-
sage, said in his report to the navy
department of the performance Of the
submarine boat Holland. in the ex-
periments at Newport: ct is clear
that the Holland type will play a very
serious part in future naval welfare.
There is no doubt whatever that the
vessel at Newport can approach tur-
ret ship unseen, either by night or
DAY. Her only danger is that she may be
run over herself by picket or large
vessels. Admiral Farquhar, COM
mander-in-chief of the North Atlantic
squadron; Captain Mason, command
ing the torpedo station at Newport,
and Captain Nathan Sargent, COM
manding the United States steamer
Scorpion, all commend the Holla nd S
work in their reports. These reports
were sent to the senate by Secretary
Long in compliance with a resolution
offered by Senator Stewart.
Notwithstanding the predictions OF
the Democratic press of extravagant
appropriations by the Republicans at
this session of congress not a single
appropriation bill has passed which
contained an item which any Democrat
characterized as extravagant. AS a
matter of fact, some Democrats are
strongly urging extravagant appro-
priations, to be spent in their own
localities, for the river and harbor
bill, which the house committee has
almost finished If there is any ex-
travagance at this session Of congress
it is likely to be found in that bill. It
seems impossible for river and har-
Dor bill to get through any congress
that does not contain appropriations
that may justly be called extravagant
by those who have no personal or
neigh borhood interest in the expendi.
ture of the money.
Senator Hanna thus disposed of the
many sensational stories about com.
binations to prevent the passage of the
ship subsidy bill: Il will say now
what [ have always said, that this bill
is for the best interests of the country
and believe it is going to pass the
senate. | know the stories they are
telling about what the opposition to
the bill processes to be able to do.
have said from the first that this bill
must go through congress in a per
fectly clean way and absolutely upor
it's merits And that is the way it il
going through, if at all. will stake
my reputation as business man Of 6
good many years experience and as {
shipper on the prediction that this bill
will do what we claim for it, and thai
it will result in 80 per cent. of our trade
being carried under the American flag