Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-11-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Cofrcsp0Hue'lt.1
Warrington. Nov. 90, 1900.

From our Regular NtNAk<st 'ettAs%tt Ael
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 1900.
ssAyhateyer else is left undene, hurry
VITA, the army bill. = That is the sum and
substance Of what Mr. Mckinley says to
every prominent Republican Senator and
REPRESENTATIVE. who goes to the White
House. The reason he wishes the leglsla-
ton for the increase Of the army hurried Is,
that he has received q hint that the decision
OF the United States Supreme Court will be
against the constitutionality of the Porto
Rico act which would mean that the
United States would have TO relinquish
ownership of the Philippines, and would
consequently have no use for a large stand
ing army. He wishes TO get the big army
provided for before the court hands down
its decision, and it will not be surprising il
the Attorney General so manipulates the
case as to prevent its conclusion until after
the end of this Congress, as Mr.. Mckinley
might prefer not having Congress in session
should the decision be ayerse. This story
sounds incredulous, but it is being seriously
talked about in political circles, aud there
have been other cases in which administla-
tions have been given advance hints of
important decisions of the Supreme Court.
ANY member of the court eau usually
make pretty nearly correct guess OF how
his colleagues will stand upon important
decisions from their talk in a general way
to each other. Whether the whole story is
correct or not, it is absolutely certain that
Mr. Mckinley is plainly showing his
anxiety of the speedy passage by Congress
Of the Army bill.
The Isthmian Canal Commission has
handed Mr. Mckinley its preliminary re-
port. As expected it favors the Nicaragua
route for the Canal. The Panama Com
pany's lobbyists are moving Heaven and
earth to prevent legislation by Congress, IN
favor of the Nicaragua Canal.
According to Representative Hull, Chair
man Of the House Committee on Military
Affairs, which is now trying to put together
an army bill that will be supported by all
the Republicans, many of whom have
publicly expressed widely differing opinions
Of what the bill should provide for, es-
peeially as to the number of men, the
volunteers in the Philippines viii NOT be
brought home until regulars, enlisted under
the bill not even yet written can be sent to
take their places. At least, that is fair
construction to place upon Mr.. Hull's
own words-'grhe army now in the Philip
pines will have to be brought home in the
summer, that is those of the men who do
not care to re-enlist. The transports which
90 out for them should depart laden with
the troops who are to replace them. =
Representative Champ Clark, Of Mo-.
returned to Washington, feeling as chippy
as usual He said: i am not down-cast
or discouraged by the licking we got The
,,ot ,,,,Isas.,,t fao{,,yo 10 II xriiI +oI,a No
six or eight years to get the Senate. AS to
the proposition to re-organize the Demo-
cratic party, it is fact in natural history
that the tail cannot wag the dog; and the
same is true in politics.
The party does not need recognizing to
begin with. Tt is thoroughly organized,
and even if it were to be recognized, it
would not be from the outside We want
everybody to come in that feels like help
ing us, but we have perfect organization
of our own OF the probable work Of this
session of Congress, Mr. Clark sad /
think this win be an extremely bu
sion The main thing the Republicans
will do viii be to ratify the Hay-Paunce-
foote treaty, and pass Nicaragua Canal
bill, in accordance with it, and to pass
Mark Hanna's ship-snbsidy bill. If the
Supreme Court decides the Porto Rican act
unconstitutional, then the Republicans viii
run races with us as to which will drop the
Philippines first But if it is decided to be
constitutional, then this session of Congress
will have to pass some kind of a bill for the
government and control Of the islands.
This, with the routine measures and the
new apportionment under the last census
will make it an exceedingly busy session. y
The reception of the proposition advanced
by the radical Republicans to reduce the
representation of the Southern States which
have restricted negro suffrage, has been
of such general condemnation that it has
been abandoned for the present session and
will not figure in the re-apportionment bill,
which will doubtless become a law in the
near future but some of its advocates hint
their intention to try to get the question
before the long session Of the next Con
gress.
In the case of Minister Conger, this gov.
eminent is presenting the extraordinary
spectacle Of keeping man at his post,
which is supposed to carry much authority
aqd discretion, and at the same time pro-
7zning a scheme to the Powers to absolutely
ignore him. Because Minister Conger has
views Of his own, instead of having adopted
those with which the Chinese Minister at
Washington has inoculated the Mckinley
Administration, proposition has been
made by this government to the Powers
interested to take the negotiation for
settlement with China ont Of the hands of
the foreign ministers at Pekin and make
fresh. start through a commission The
ground for this is the alleged fear that the
present negotiations viii fail because the
foreign ministers at Pekin cannot agree.