Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1900-06-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Wzshinpton Juns I

uouhai election' "nicn ~ just Wnat ne
was anxious to avoid. In their anxiety
to allay public suspicion at home, mem
bers OF the administration have been
doing some word juggling that would be
not too serious to laugh about. For
instance, official statements to the press
from the state department have empha-
sized tho alleged instructions to our
minister at Pskin, and to Rear Admiral
Kempff, our naval commander In
Chinese waters, to act in concert with
European powers for the protection OF
foreigners and their property but not to
join a combination of tho powers for
any purpose. Our representatives over
there must be clever indeed IL thay can
act in concert with the European
powers without combining with thsm.
/ / /
A marked feature OF the political
situation, is the genuine scare Of Re-
publican leaders over three states which
they havo heretofore been claiming as
certain to cast their electoral votes for
Mckinley. In Now York, the RopubI.
cans realize that the state will be doubt
full. In Indiana, the state ticket nomi-
mated by the Democrats, headed by Hon.
John w. Kern, is so strong that Indiana
Republicans have notified the leaders OF
the party that the state is in danger.
In Illinois, the tide has been running
for some time, and
appeals for help arc being received In
Washington. This scare is so bad that
prominent Republicans are saying that
IL is useless to consider candidates from
other states for tho second place on the
Mckinley ticket; that he must be taken
from one Of those thres states, and
must be a man who will add strength to
the ticket.
/ /
Secretary Long has advertised for bids
for furnishing armor platss for battle.
ships undor tho cowardly law forced
through congress tho last thing before
adjournment, making Mr.. Long do what
the Republicans of congress wers as
hamed to do-agree to the prices OF
armor set by the armor trust, which
will necessarily be tho only bidder to
respond to the advertisement. True,
the law gives Mr.. Long tho authority to
reject the bids II he considers the price
too high, and to use tho "a ZOO, 900
carried by the act, for the osta bllshmsnt
OF \ government plant to mako armor
plate, but II he acted upon that au-
thority, the Republican leaders who
engineered tho cowardly make-shift
would throw few fts; they arc figuring
on heavy campaign contribution from
tho armor trust.
Mr.. Mckinley and General E. S. Oti,
have been exchanging taffy. Mr.. Nc
Kinley has bsen telling Otis that he was
tho only real thing In tho military way
produced by the Philippine uar-many
believe that Otis produced that war
and that he would have been glad to
have mado him, instead OF Miles, .
lieutenant general, but congress fixed II
so that promotion had to 90 to Miles;
while Otis, overjoyed at his promotion
to be major general, has been telling
Mr.. Mckinley that he Is the greatest OF
all presidents. Outside Of tho White
House there has been no attempt to
lionize Otis because Of the prevalence OF
tho opinion that he has already received
more than was coming to him for any
thing ho achieved during his laundering
career in the Philippines.
I /
The Industrial Commission, so-called,
has provided itself with a pleasant
junket, all Of the expenses OF which
will be paid by the dear people" 1t
has decided that tho industrial condi-
tions, principally flirtations and such,
along the Northern Atlantic coast, must
be investigated during tho summer, and
has arranged for meetings of tho COM
mission during the next three months,
in Pennsylvania, New jersey, New
York, and the New England states.
Ono OF the first duties OF a Democratic
administration and congress will be to
abolish the Republican government COM
mission humbug, which has become so
rampant, and so expensive, under the
Mckinley administration.
/ ! /
Chairman Payne, OF tho house ways
and means committee, has given away
the claim OF the Republicans that the
reason they did not reduce war taxes At
the recent session Of congress, was their
desire to have that committee grant
hearings and study the question during
the recess, so that the right sort of bill
providing for the reduction might be
reported to the house, by tho official
announcement that the committee
would not be called together until just
before congress meets. In othor words,
tho question OF tho reduction Of war
taxos is to bo left open until attor
election, in order that all the big inter-
ests may bo taxed for tho Republican
campaign fund.