The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-08-03
FROM THE CAPITAL.
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
ington.
lngtOn.
WASHINGTON,
(Commun Gated J.

probability of ali extra session of
Congress having to be called to
deal with the Chinese situation.
With all his assumptions of i'm
perial authority, Mr.. Mckinley
will not dare to declare war, and
a declaration of war upon China
by the other powers whose citi-
zenS have been killed may be ex-
pected any day. 1t has been
limited that Mr.. Mckinley would
withdraw American troops if the
other powers declare war against
China and let the foreigners do
all the fighting, but the American
people will have something TO say
about that. The murder of a
number of American missionaries
has been fully authenticated, and
the people are only waiting for
authentic news of the fate of the
American minister and other
Americans in Pekin who are be-
lieved also to have been murdered.
When they know that the people
will let Mr.. Mckinley know their
will as they did about the war
with Spain, and he and Congress
will obey, as they did then.
The fact that an officer OF the
Cuban Military Government,
Maj. E. Il. Laid, treasurer,
should have given out an inter
view in Washington, against the
withdrawal of the United States
troops from Cuba and the fitness
ofthe CubanS for self government,
with the usual rot about the
"hetter classes" being i'll favor of
permanent American control Of
the island. strengthens the suS-
piciOn that the announced with
drawal of the United States from
Cuba, was made for effect in the
political campaign in this country
rather than with the intention of
being carried out in good faith.
1t is not conceivable that a sub
ordinate army officer would have
allowed himself to he publicly
quoted, as Maj. Ladd has done,
if he had not known that his sen
timents were those held by his
official SuperiorS.
The tendency of this admins
tration to follow the imperialistic
policy of government without
Congressional authority, was
again emphasized by the an
nuuncement cabled from Madrid
getting news of what our gov
eminent is doing from foreign
capitals, is not pleasing to the
average American, although it
has become quite prominent under
She Mckinley regime-that this
government had offered Spain
$1,000 for the two islands of
the Philippine group which were
not covered by the boundary line
named i'll the treaty of peace with
Spain. 1t is the theory of this
government that the Executive
branch can pay out no money that
has not been specifically appro-
priated by Congress for particu.
lar purpose, but that theory has
been departed from several times
under the present administration,
beginning with the lump sum of
so, 900, 600 placed at Mr.. Nc
kinley'S disposal to prepare for
the war with Spain. That depar-
ture was Unsuitable under the cir
cumStanceS and was authorized
by the unanimous vote of Con
gresS, but there have been other
departures which were neither
JuStltiable nor authorized. and
this offer to purchase more islands
is one of them. 1t was known
last winter that Spain had laid
claim to those two islands, but
instead of referring the matter to
Congress, the administration an.
nounced that Spain had been
notified that its clam would not
be recognized. That was sup.
posed to have ended the matter.
until the Spanish government in.
formed the world that this gov.
eminent had offered to pay $780,
600 for the islands. If Congress
was not Republican in both
branches and thoroughly DONNA.
ted by the imperial administration
1t would call down this uncOnsti-
tutlonal uSurpation of authority
and demand to know from what
fund this 100000 is to be taken.
There Is an emergency fund at the
disposal of the administration,
bat 1t is certain that those who
voted to appropriate it never con.
templated the use of any portion
OF 1t for the purchase of islands.
If this republic is to be preserved
as established, a government
must be put in power that will
follow the precepts laid down by
the constitution, which the Demo
cratic platform pledges Bryan
and Stevenson to do. Senator
Vest was right when he declared
that the great issue of this cam.
paign was republic or empire,
with the Democratic party stand,