Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-08-15
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent.l

WASHINGTON, August 10, 1900
President McKinley's patience about
reached the limit when Minister
Conger's dispatch reporting that the
Brit ISL legation in Pekin, in which
he and all the other foreign ministers
are shut up, was again being daily
attacked, and by Chinese Imperial
troops, was received, and he dictated
what was practically an ultimatum
to the Chinese government and di-
rected that 1t be sent to the Uni ed
States consul-general At Shanghai,
with instructions to communicate it
to LII Hung Chang at once and say
that an immediate answer vas de-
manded He told the Chinese govern
ment that the situation in Pekln
would not be tolerated by the United
States. If satisfactory answer is.not
received, an extra session of congress
is likely to be called.
That the possibility of the United
States participating in an interna
tionaI war as the result ofthe Chinese
complications Is being seriously con
sidere1 in official circles IL cert ain,
although, OF course, this government
has no present intention of doing
anything more than to make proper
precautionary preparations A short
while ago Admiral Dewey assigned
70 each of the other members Of the
naval policy board, Of which he is
president, portion Of possible
program to be followed by the navy
IN case Of such war, to be studied
and formulated. The admiral has
notified the members OF the board
hat meeting will be held the last
Of this month, at Newport, to hear
md discuss the reports and harmon
re them into a programme. The
proceedings Of this meeting will be
secret.
Some amusement was created IN
Washington, especially among those
Who net Lii Hung Chang, the trickiest
Of Cinnamon, when he was ia this
country, several years ago, by the
blegram from'Shanghai saying that
l. had told the foreign consuls that
China was too poor tOspay a money
Indemnity to the powers. Money Is
he one thing that Ii never forgets.
He knows that the powers will de-
mand and collect a heavy indemnity
That is why heput in advance a plea of
poverty for China. How much that
jdemnity will amount 20 it would be
impossible for any one to say at this
time, but so far as this government
IS concerned, it can be set down
among the certainties that it will de-
mand the repayment, with interest
If all public money expended on &C
:ount of the troubles in China, and
that every American who lost pro
perty will bave to be pail, not only
it's full value, but for Inconvenience
on account Of its destruction, and for
every American who has been or
shall be killed will have to be paid a
satisfactory indemnity. 1t is likely
that the other powers will follow a
similar policy, and they will probably
Jointly collect the money, if the
Chinese government thinks it cannot
DO 1t.
II the talk of number of UMPIRE
JUDGED business men who have recent
~ been in Washington after travelling
through the South can be depended
upon, the Bryanites are likely to get
several disagreeable surprises when
the votes of the Southern states are
footed up, in November The pro-
prietor Of q hotel in West Point, Ga,
said to one OF these gentlemen: II
have been a Democrat since the war,
but cannot understand what the
fool-Dam mean by declaring
against imperialism" and talk Of the
same sort is repeated by all Of them as
having been heard in various places
throughout the South
Senator Lindsay, of Kentucky
when asked what he thought of the
political outlook, said: ~ incline
TO the belief that President Mckinley
Will be reelected. Personally he is
an upright and unobiectionaol man
The people fear the election of Mr..
Bryan. They do not want him for
president and they fear him, and
will, believe, defeat him. | think it
Is the general sentiment that Mr..
Mckinley will be reelected"
That portion Of Mr.. Bryan's speech
accepting the Democratic nomination
for president in which he declares
that if elected he would At once call
an extra session of congress for the
purpos4 Of giving the Filipinos indie
pendence comes very neac if it does
not actually make him amenable to
the law against treason. 1t is gener-
ally admitted by those best informed
that it is owing to Mr.. Bryan's nom
nation that the Filipinos have be-
come active in revolt again, and this
speech is likely to cause them to think
their renewed activity justiiable.
II HoInnd Win Ra++Ins