Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-02-16

But the Protests Of the People will Call Halt
on Proposition to Accord Other Nations
Equal Privileges, in Peace or War, to the MIC
arasuan Canal After 1t is Opened with Amer
lean Money-Hedsns on the Gold Standard
Representative Williams on the Philippine
INSTRUMENTATION tioar CompIimented-
Alarming Increase of Pensions-Etc.
From our Regular Coz ~es lo"ient.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 1900
That English diplomacy is away
ahead of English military generalship
has once more been proven by the
Nicaragua Canal treaty, sent to the
Senate this week, which instead of be-
ing received with shouts of approval,
As Mr.. Mckinley seemed to think it
ought to be, has been met with stern
protests, even from supporters of the
administration. Although England
is in position where it would have
agreed to almost anything proposed by
this government, which is almost its
only friend among the nations OF the
world, the English diplomats got ex-
actly what they wanted. To reduce
the treaty to everyday language,
England graciously agrees that we
shall build the Nicaragua Canal with
American money, provided that she
and all other nations shall have equal
use of the canal both in peace aud in
war and that the United States agrees
never to fortify either end OF the ca
nal. Unless many Senators change
their present attitude, this treaty will
not be ratified, until its present Jug
handled features are cut out. The
sentiment in both branches of Con-
gress, regardless of party, favors the
construction OF the Nicaragua Canal
by this government, provided that we
have absolute control of it, which
means, Of course, the right to Close it
to our enemies in time of war.
After all their bluff and buster, the
Republican Senators are afraid of GO
ing before the country equarely on
the issue OF the single gold standard,
and this week the majority of the Fl.
nance committee reported the old in.
ternational bimetallism bambOozler
as an amendment. The amendment,
which merely says that the bill is not
intended 10 place any obstacle in the
way OF the accomplishment of inter-
national bimetallism, is too palpable a
humbug to fool any man, but it il in
tended to ease the consciences of such
so-called Republican bimetallists as
Senator Chandler, who was instru.
mental in getting the amendment re-
ported, and TO give such Western sill
yer Republicans as care to take ad-
vantage of it an opportunity to sneak
into the gold camp.
Representative Williams, of Missis- |
sippi. one of the leading Democratic
members OF the House Committee on
Foreign Affairs, made a strong speech
against the annexation of the Philip.
pines, meeting the Republicans on
their own plane OF dollars and cents
and showing what poor business it
would be in the end. He ridiculed
the idea which political necessity has
caused the Republican leaders in both
House and Senate to adopt-that the
United States does not include the
Territories Of the United States-and
predicted it's overthrow by the Su.
preme Court. The closing words of
Mr.. Williams, which were greeted
with applause, follow: II am much
more opposed to annexation of the
Philippines in its old historic Ameri-
can sense than am to the new-fan-
gled doctrine of imperialism. As
much as would hate to see the Dec
laration of Independence thrown to
the winds, as much as would hate TO
see the historical landmarks of Wash.
ington's Farewell Address forgotten,
as much as should hate to see the
Constitution amended so that we
might have subjects, would rather
change the Constitution, l would
rather be relegated to the unwritten
constitution of England, to the com.
mon law itself. than to admit eleven
millions of bsrbarians like that to
share and share alike with me and my
children and my grandchildren in
molding the destinies of this great
Republic, the last hope OF all the ages
for popular freedom and for the dem.
onstration of the fact that man can
govern himself"
Senator Caffery in a speech. show
ing by Constitutional law that if we
keep the Philippines it's inhabitants
will become full. fedged citizens of the
United States, paid this high compli-
ment to Senator Hoar: al am glad
that Massachusetts has on this floor a
worthy successor of Webster aud Sum.
ner, and that he stands forth as the
guardian Of constitutional right and
constitutional law"
The activity OF those who are schem-
ing to add 10 the already enormous
amount of money paid by this gov
eminent for pensions may be judged
when Senator Gallinger, chairman of
the Senate committee on Pensions,
who il ultra-liberal in his ideas on the
subject, publicly states that if the
bills now before his committee should
become laws it would bankrupt the
country to make the payments.
The Nicaragua Canal treaty having
failed to produce any change In the
strong Boer sentiment in Congress,
the administration has become
, alarmed. 1t ia afraid that Congress
will adopt some resolution that will
force it into taking some step to save
the Beers from extinction before the
English get troops enough on the
ground to deliver crushing blow,
and in order to gain time for the Eng.
lish, it is allowing the impression to
get out that it intends to do some.
thing in the mediatory line under the
Hague treaty, which was this week
ratified by the Senate, when that doc
ument becomes effective, which will
not be until after notifications have
heen eYchanOed nv tha siOnatorv