The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-08-24
washington Letter.
lFrom our regular Correspondent

President Nc Kinley, by the aid of
his special wire and the long distan ce
telephone, keeps just as we'll posted in
Canton on the news from China as he
could if he were in the White House.
Every official message sent to China
has been dictated by him. The mes
sage sent to Minister Conger, in ans
wer to his exposure Of the fraud prac-
ticed by the Chinese Government up
on the foreign ministers in Pekin by
telling them that their governments
were urging that they be sent to Tein
Tsin under escort, has not been aud
will not be made public. Mr. Conger
been previously instructed to remain
in Pekin until the arrival OF the allied
army, ard the fact that Russia has
instructed It's Minister to leave Pekin
under Chinese escort will not change
Mr.. Conger's instructions. This gov
ernment has nothing to do with the
landing OF British troops at Shang hal
consequently no action will be taken
on the request OF Ii Hung Chang that
it use coed Offices to prevent their be-
ing landed.
Col. M. NJ. Parker, National Com
nitteeman for the District of Colum-
bia, who has just returned from visit
to Canada, Is one Of those who does not
regard the political calm as indicating
Republican over confidence, but as in
dlcating absolute certainty that Nc
Kinley Roosevelt are to be elected and
the present prosperous times continued
indefinitely. Col, Parker said "While
on my way home | stopped at several
places in the Eastern States, but I
heard no politics, saw 20 badges, and
found as little interest taken in poll
tics as in any off year. The country
is prosperous. The conditions are
such that the whole people not only
will decline to make a change, but
they are not going to waste time talk
ing even of the possibility of such
thing.
Oneof The first things that Secre-
tary Long will have to tackle when he
returns from bis vacation will be the
bids for armor submitted under the
provisions of the Naval Appropriation
Bill for the current fiscal year. The
Carnegie and Bethlehem Companies
submitted identical bids, each for half
of the armor desired, the whole to be
furnished within five years. The Mid
vale Steel Company submitted bid,
somewhat lower than the other two,
for the entire lot of armor, but it will
require eight years to furnish it all.
None of these bids are entirely satls-
factory as to time, as the ships for
which the armor will be needed are
contracted 10 be finished in three
years, and the government is obligated
by the contracts to furnish the armor
as fast as it is needed, and its failure
to do 50 might give the ship builders
foundation for heavy claims for delay.
Secretary Long has authority to ac-
|cept either of these bids or to reject
them all and expend 81 100000 in es-
|tablishing a government plant for
making armor.
There are reasons for belief that the
Democratic National Committee is
connecting a scheme for the whole
sale purchase OF small German papers,
in order to try to create the impress
sion that there is an extensive Bryan
sentiment among the German voters.
A gentleman who claims to know
something of the details of this scheme
said: 81 know that the Democratic
Committee has large fund which is
to be exclusively on the German press.
1t has number of Germans employed
to work the German editors. Cash
will be paid for Bryan matter in Ger
man papels when editors are willing
to accept it, and when they refuse to
sell the political policies of their pap
ers viii be bought outright if possible,
/
and turned into Bryan organs" This
scheme will enable few German edi-
tors to unload Improbable newspaper
properties upon the Democratic Com
|mittee, but to assume that it will
make any considerable number Of
voters is an insult to the lntelligence
Of our German citizens who are about
as hard to bunco as any class OF our
people. The average German care
fully thinks before he acts, and if lie
lfdds that his paper has changed its
politics he viii know Why and will
simply drop it and subscribe to an
fother that advocates continuance Of
prosperity. No paper has any influ-
lenee that does not advocate the politi-
teal opinions Of its sub6criberg. Big
newspapers hare snnk fhoue1H{s Of
| Ido1I1rs IN Learning that lesson