The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1900-06-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From Our Regular Correspondent

Are we at war with Clina? The
Chinese Minister says No; the Sec
retary of State says No, and the
European governments say No,
but Admiral Kempff cables the
Navy Department that Russian
and American Marines have had a
fight with the Chinese Army, been
driven back and prevented from
getting through to Tien Tsin, and
after beng reinforced until the to-
tai force was 1000 were about to
again try to fight their way
through to the city, which looks like
war if it isn't war. LiHung Chang
has cabled Secretary Hay that he
is on his way to Pekin, and will
stop all the trouble and protect
all the foreigners if that allied
army will only postpone its in
tended invasion of China, and the
Chinese Minister continues to in
sist that his government has not
sanctioned any fighting of foreign
ers and that the battle at Taku
was the result of some sort OF a
misunderstanding, and that his
government doesn't want to fight
anyway. Meanwhile preparations
are being rushed to send American
troops from the Philippines. to
China.
The Census Bureau has stamp
ed with it's disapproval the pub
lication Of figures not officially
given out, showing or purporting
to show the results of the Census
in any locality, characterlzlng
them as "merely guesses," which
may in some cases approximate
the truth, but are unauthorized
untrustworthy, and notified an
anxious country that it can only get
the real thing in Census figures
from the official bulletin of the Cen
sus Bureau which will be issued
from time to time as the red tape
is unwound. This is a bit of tom
foolery for which there is no more
excuse than there would be for
keeping the result of an important
election from The people until the
official count was completed. 1t
is perfectly natural for the resld-
ents of growing ci les and town to
be interested in knowing the total
enumeration of their inhabitants,
and the only reason the lnforma-
ton is not given them the day
the enumeration is completed, IS
that the superintendent OF cen
sus districts, who have the lnfor-
nation, have orders not to do so.
What harm conld possibly be done
by giving out the totals as the emu
meratiOn of each district is com
pleted, accompanied by the state
ment that the figures are subject
to official revision?
1t is not often that a man is ap-
pointed to an Office for which he
has not applied and which he
does not want, but Mr.. John n.
Oats, of San Francisco, was nom-
mated by the President and con-
firmed by the Senate, to be Post
master of Honolulu, not only Win
out his desiring the position, but
when it was intended to be given
TO his brother Mr.. Joseph M. Oats,
who was formerly Postmaster
General of Hawaii. The commits
sion will be Cancelled and a new
one issued to the right Mr.. Oats,
who will doubtless be duly con-
fined by the Senate at the next
session of Congress.
Labor has been given a new rep
resentative Oh the lndustrlai
Commission-Mr. Charles ii. Litch-
man. of New Jersey, who has been
appointed to succeed Mr.. NJ. 3.
Ratchford, resigned. Mr.. Litch-
man has been prominent in labor
organizations for twenty five years,
having served as Gen. Secretary
Of the Knights OF Labor, from
1878. to 1881, and from 1886 to
1888.
According to Judge NJ. I. Hitch
cock. of Seattle, Washington, the
49,. .4oto orc dptermiulDp