Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-02-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.

against tne Hay-IaunceIOle canal suT-
render. The House Of Representatives
is at least five to one against it and the
public is practically unanimoes in its
opposition. The attitude of the Senate
is most peculiar and hard to under
stand. Senator Morgan of Alabama,
whose whole life has been devot. d
to constant warfare in favor o.
building the canal under American
guns, now saysthat Qualifications will be
of no use and favors the treaty. His
is the most striking change of face
though there are other senators whose
new position is scarcely less surprising.
A recent poll of the Senate showed a
two-thirds vote for the treaty, but the
universal opposition of the newspapers
of the country, democratic and repub-
lican alike, is having its effect and it is
quite probable that enough may change
their mind to defea treaty. The news
cabled from London that it is practi
cally admitted there that Lord Salisbury
would have consented to the United
States fortifying, if he had been sufli.
GENTLY pressed to do so, has added to
the indignation at Secretary Hay'stame
surrender of our rights. However, &C.
cordiDg to administration ideas, the
good will of Great Britain must be re.
tanned at whatever cost to this country,
for it is held that only by her aid can
the president push his imperialistic
schemes in the Orient.
One lucky thing has developed here
within the past week and that is that
the ship subsidy bill, which proposed
to pay over fortunes to the wealthy
Atlantic liners, will be postponed until
next session; that is until after the cleo
ton. The popular opposition has been
so strong even to the substitute offered
by Mr.. Grosvenor that some forty Re.
publicans have declined to follow Their
party in supporting it, and it has been
therefore practically decided to let it &C
over. 1t was somewhat difficult to ar.
range for this as the ship line owners
refused at first to contribute to the Re
publican campaign fund this fall unless
they were given the money in the bill
but it is probable that they will yield
to the inevitable and contribute, realiz
ing that Republican victory this fall
will 80 intrench that party that itt
members will risk the anger of thei
constituencies. At present they are un
willing to go home and inform these
that they voted for bill carrying So,
100000 in subsidies, largely to old ant
worn out vessels.
The advocates of the bill refuse tt
accept an amendment providing tina
no ship shall receive subsidy unless i
carries one.half of it's tonnage il
freight, as this would furnish LITTLE
plumber to Mark Hanna's friends
although 1t would at least give to the
slow freight carriers share in thu
plumber and might possibly have re
duced freight rates.
General Stone, u. S. ", who has don,
such splendid work for Porto Rico, ii
bitterly opposed to the proposition t.
impose duties on the products of thai
island when imported into the United
States He says that the inhsbitant.
welcomed our soldiers with open arms
and saved us hundreds of lives by theil
adhesion to our cause during the war
"When our army landed there" hesays
"the first thing General Miles did was tt
issue proclamation declaring that we
came to offer them the blessings of oul
government" General Stone thinks thai
it would now be bad faith to impose
duties. Said he; "Can we afford tt
break our solemn promise to these
people at the outset of our rule? Shall
we give them three-quarters or som,
other fraction of what is due them, ant
that, not as right, but as concession
which the next Congress may revoke
If the conscience of the nation coulC
consent to such an iniquity, it nigh
still be wise to consider that we ma,
have, any day, to defend that splendid
possession against foreign foe, that il
is now the grand outpost and guart
over our coast and commerce anb cana
that is to be, and that when such ar
occasion comes, if our dealings witt
| these DeOple have shown Kindness anG
liberality, or even fairness and common
honesty, we might raise fifty Thousand
fighting Porto Ricans to defend the
island against our enemy"