Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-06-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Irregular Correspondence
wAsUIN0TON, June II,

WASHINGTON, june II, lSuO'
The administration Is worrying over
the news from China. The revolution
of the Boxers" threatens to expose Mr.
McKinley's Imperialism programme con-
corning China in advance OF the Presl-
Dental election, which is just what he
was anxious to avoid, In their anxiety
to allay public suspicion at home, mem
hers of the administration have been do
ing some word juggling that would be
amusing if the matters involved were
not too serious to laugh about. For IN
stance, official statements to the press
from the State Department have empha-
sized the alleged instructions to our
Minister at Pekin, and to Rear Admiral
Kcmpff, our Naval Commander in Chi
nese waters, to act in concert with Euro
pean powers for the protection OF Tor
eigners and their property but not to
Join combination of TIE powers for
any purpose. Our representatives over
there must be clever indeed if they can
act in concert with the European powers
without combining with them,
A marked feature Of the political sit
uation, is the genuine scare OF the re-
publican leaders over three states which
they have heretofore been claiming as
certain to cast their electoral votes for
Mckinley. These states arc New YORK,
Indiana, and Illinois In New York,
with Croker to look after greater New
York, and Hill TO look after the other
portions of the State, pulling Loyalty to-
gether the republicans realize that the
State will be doubtful. In Indiana, the
State ticket nominated 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 anti.rcpublican for
some time, and appeals for help are be.
ing received in Washington, This scare
is so bad that prominent republicans arc
saying that 1t is useless to consider can
didates from other states for the second
place on the Mckinley ticket; that hc
must be taken from one Of those three
states, and must be man who viii add
strength to the ticket. Mr.. Mckinley
has gone ont of his way to make friends
with Senator Mason, Of His, who was
ntiadministrrtio during the recent
session of Congress, and has succeeded
in getting Mason to promise to take the
stump for him. AS Mason isn't the sort
Of man who can be won over by jolly
ing, it is likely that lac has received some
definite and iron clad promises offutare
patronage.
The Industrial Commission, SO called
has provided itself with pleasant sum
mer junkct, all of the expenses of which
will be paid by the dear people" 1t
has decided that the industrial condi-
tons, principally ilirtations and such,
along the Northern Atlantic coast, must
be investigated during the summer, and
has arranged for meetings OF the Com
mission during the next three months,
in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York
and the New England states One of
the first duties of democratic admins
tration and Congress will be to abolish
the Republican Government Commission
humbug, which has become so rampant,
and 80 expensive, under the Mckinley
administration.
Chairman Payne, of the House Ways
and Means Committee, has given away
the claim of the reason they did not re-
duce 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 re-
duction might be reported 20 the House,
by the official announcement that the
Committee would not be called together
until Just before Congress meets. In
other words, the question of the reduC-
ton of war taxes is to be left open until
after election, in order that all the big
interests may be taxed for the republican
campaign fund.
Secretary Long has advertised for bids
for furnishing armor plate for battle
ships, under the cowardly law forced
through Congress the last thing before
adjournment, making Mr.. Long do what
the republicans of Congress were asham-
ed to do-agree to the prices of armor
set by the aTmor trust, which will neces.
sarily be the only BIDDER to respond TO
the advertisement. True, the law gives
Mr. Long authority to reject the bids if
he considers the price too high, and to
use the $4,000,000 carried by the act, for
the establishment Of government plant
to make armor plate, but If he acted
upon that authority, the republican
leaders who engineered the cowardly
make-shift would throw few fits; they
are figuring on heavy campaign con
tribution from the armor trust.
Mr.. Mckinley and Gen. +. s. Otis
have been exchanging taffy. Mr.. Nc
Kinley has been telling Otis that he was
the only real thing in the Military way
produced by the Philippine war--many
believe that Otis produced that war
and that he would have been glad to have
made him, instead of Miles, Lieutenant
General, but Congress fixed it 50 that
promotion had to go to Gen. Miles; while
Otis, overjoyed at his promotion to be a
Major General has been telling Mr., Nc
Kinley that he is the greatest o. all Pres
idents Outside the White House there
has been no attempt to lionize Otis be