The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-02
ALL EYES
TURNED TO
The ORIENT.
State Department Appreciates the
Gravity Of tho situntion-chAnce
to Engage in Partition.
THE CONGRESSIONAL BATTLES
To Be Fought in the Middle West.
headquarters to be in the
Windy City.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June 1.-The
situation in China is being watched
with the keenest interest by the officials
OF the state department. and by men in
public life, who are appreciative of its
grave possibilities. 1t seems evident
that the Boxer" demonstration is of
far more gravity than expected, and
that It can easily develop so as to
threaten the stability OF the Chinese Gm-
pIre. The Chinese government
so far seems utterly un-
able to prevent the destruction
Of foreign property by the Box
ers," or even to protect foreigners.
The chief trouble with the outbreak is
that 1t gives the desired excuse to Rus
sia. Germany, France and Italy to en-
gage in the partition of China which
Great Britain and the United States
have opposed, though the latter has ta-
gen no direct steps to Offset the move
ment. At the present moment Great
BrItain's hands are so fully occupied
in South Africa that she can do moth
ing to prevent the pnrtItIoning of the
empire, which the inability of the Chi
nese government to keep peaceful,
might seem to Justify.
To Protect Our Representatives.
The fact that marines have been sent
from the Newark to protect the Ameri-
can legation at Pekin is not surprising,
nor does 1t indicate In any sense de-
termination on the part Of the United
States to meddle with the muddle. 1t
is simply step to protect our repre-
sentatives in China and such Ameri-
cans and foreigners as seNk an asylum
at our legation. Only short time ago
marines were sent to Pek.n for SINH
lar purpose.
The agreement OF tie powers, at the
solicitation or the United States, to pre-
serve the open door in China gives us
the comforting thought that even II
China be partitoned our commercial
interests will not suffer, but that
agreement may not be strong enough
TO resist the temptation that will come
TO Russia and Germany and France to
promote their own commercial advant-
ages II the opportunity offers to do SC
at a time when we nre not in position
to insist upon .having the pledges kept
In other words, so long as we are
strong enough to insist on our rights
that long will the agreement hold
Meantime the present outbreak inter-
feres with trade and is decidedly dis
turbing element that may easily be-
come seriously menaciag
Fight in the Middle West.
The determination of the Republican
congressional committee to depart from
the policy of the past and establish its
headquarters at Chicago instead of
washington is significant of the belief
that the control of the next house is to
be won or lost in Indiana. illinois, Min
nesota, wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana
and the western states. 1t is held that
1t will be easier for the campaigns in
these important states to be managed
from Chicago than from Washington.
Tile members Of the congressional
committee can thus be In closer touch
with the Republican national commit
tee and with the party leaders in the
states where the hardest fight is to be
waged. Doubtless sub-headquarters
will be maintained by the congresslon-
nj committee in Washington, for the
purpose Of readily obtaining the infor-
nation that is available, Just as the
national committee will do, but the real
work is to be done in Chicago.
Might be a Landslide.
The Republicans are very well aware,
though they do nottsay much about 1t
publicly, that 1t will be far ensier for
the Democrats to carry the house than
the presidency. changes of a compara-
lively few votes in score OF districts
giving the Democrats control whereas
It would require the winning of several
states to elect Bryan. or course there
may be a landslide that will give the
Democrats n majority in the house and
the presidency easily, but even the
most enthusiastic Democrats win ad-
init that there is n better prospect Of
controlling the house than of electing
Mr.. Bryan, though the average Demo-
Gratis is now Inclined to think that Mr..
Bryan will be elected.
It is expected that the Democratic
congressional committee viii also have
Its chief headquarters at Chicago,
though nothing as to that has been de-
clded rs yet.