The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-05-09
FROM THE NATIONS CAPITAL.
From Chr O.cn Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., May Z, 1900.
A sensational report on the proposed
purchase Of the Danish West Indies by
the United States has been made to his
government by Captain Christmas, the
special, though unofficial, envoy of
Denmark in the matter. This report,
q copy of which is now in the hands of
the State Department, shows most re-
markable condition of affairs to exist
between certain United States Sena-
tors. the administration, and the
Standard Oil Company, and clears ND
many of the peculiar features that have
baftied conjecture in regard to the ne
gotiations for the sale of the islands.
According to Captain Christmas re-
port, II. II. Rogers, of the Standard Oil
Company, proposed about three years
ago, to undertake the sale of the
islands to the United States for COM
mission OF ten per cent on their price.
Mr.. Rogers, it is said, stated to the
Danish Government that he was in n
position to do what he proposed, on
ence of his company with United States
Senators. Mr.. Gron, Danish agent of
the company, went with this PROPOSE
tiOn of Mr.. Rogers, to Mr. HOerring,
the Danish Minister Of Finance. Mr.
H0erring was skeptical, and at first
declined to act unless some more valid
evidence of Mr.. Rogers power was
shown to him than his mere statement
or the statements of his agent, but
finally decided to give Rogers permits
sion to act in the matter as the repre-
sentative Of the Danish Government,
but without any billet to that effect.
Negotiations between Captain Christ
mas and Rogers followed. Rogers, the
story says, declared he controlled the
United States Senate and that twenty
six Senators were ready to obey any
command the Standard Oil Company
might give. Captain Christmas was
told that it would be utterly impossi-
bic for him to attempt negotiations ex-
off his negotiations and went to Wash
ington, where he told Secretary Hay
and Senator Lodge the whole story.
They both claimed that Rogers had
exaggerated his influence and said tha
the Standard Oil Company did not yet
own the Government. The negotia-
tions were dropped. There is really
nothing surprising in these facts when
closely studied. If tho Beet Sugar
Hawaii for five years, and the other
Sugar Trust could force the President
and Congress to right about face as
they did on Porto Rico, the fact of the
Standard Oil Company's offering to
negotiate the sale of few tiny islands
to the United States ought not to cause
any surprise. 1t is fair to nd that this
story mas been denied On. authority,
first by Secretary Hay, who says he
never saw Rogers. and second, by Rog-
ers, who admits that he laid the prOpo-
sitiOn before Secretary Root but denies
having said that he owned 90 Senators.
The conference committee of the two
houses of Congress- charged with con-
sidering the resolution extending the
terms of army officers in Porto Rico
and limiting the granting of fran
chises there, reached o conclusion oh
Monday and their report was promptly
agreed to by both Houses. It viii be
remembered that an agreement was
doubtful last week and that Senator
Foraker adjourned the conference
meeting and went to New York to con-
suit the officers of the trusts and cor
'pOratlOns which had arranged to obtain
the Porto Rican franchises and asked
them whether tbey-wonld give their
consent to the passage of the resolu-
tion. He found that on most points
they were less jealous for their entire
freedom Of franchise than their repre-
sentatiTes in Washington were. They
insisted, however, on one or two ap-
parently slight but really far reaching,
changes that would make the resOlu-
tiOn partially satisfactory to them.
Accordingly Senator Foraker returned
TO Washington with this intelligence
and Q compromise was reached with
little difficulty, the Democrats yielding
to tho inevitable. In section the
word "charterh was eliminated. so
that the section provides that all fran
chises, privileges, or concessions grant
ed under the Porto Rican civil govern
ment shall be subject to amendment,
alteration, OF Sepent, as provided for
IN that act. The charters" which may
still be issued, may be broad enough
in their terms to include nearly all the
other forms OF grant mentioned above,
and may be- n0n-r -repealable, nom
amendakle and perpetual. The clause
in section 8 prohibiting corporations
engaging in agriculture met with de-
termlned opposition on the part of the
Senate c0nferees, whe finally agreed to
limit the amount Of real estate capable
of being held by the corporation to 500
acres. Under this, it is still possible
plan OF buying up at q tithe of their
value, the mortgages on valuable farm
ing property which were forced upon
the owners by the war.
! 1t is most probable that Secretary
Long will simply secretly reprimand
Captain Chadwick for his outrageous
attack on Admiral Schley when the
latter. was miles away and unable to
face his accuser. Such an act is an
the Secretary cannot pass over it as he
would Of course prefer to do, since only.
Schley was insulted. It is possible.
however, that Chadwick's interview