The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-01-23

petitions and memorials from agricul-
tural. manufacturing and commercial
interests throughout the country. yet,
says the report. not line of the statute
has been changed and none of the bur-
densome conditions which call for re-
lief have been removed or modified.
The Baltimore Sun. a 'goldbug" or
gan, declares that at least n dozen or
more Democratic leaders in the South
ern states have written letters to viii
liam ]. Bryan asking him to lay aside
his personal ambition for the good of
his party, and by withdrawing permit
the nomination of some one else, who
may possibly be elected. They do not
deny his claims nor his ability, but
point out to him that by no combina-
ton of circumstances can he hope to
win, and that his nomination means
the certain defeat of the Democratic
ticket in November. They argue that
if the Democratic party hopes to sue
ceed it must abandon the silver issue,
and that Bryans nomination means
the Endorsement of the Chicago plat
form. The Sun ADDS that thus far
Colonel Bryan has resisted these i'm
portunities, and there is no reason to
believe he will ever yield to them.
A large number of claims for pen
sion office as a result of the Spanish
war. Statistics prepared by the bu-
reau show that the PERCENTAGE of ap-
plications from volunteers is much
larger than from the regulars. The
battle of San Juan was selected by
the bureau as basis of calculations,
as the greatest number of casualties
occurred there. There were 1872 regu-
lars killed, 1907 wounded and 55 mis-
rl.tt 10, f-xNV. y.
regular army number 1862. At that
battle "a volunteers We're killed. 1T
wounded and 40 missing. The claims
for pensions from volunteers number
3,55S. There We're twentythree regi-
ments of regulars and three regular
batteries engaged in this fight as a
gainst nine regiments of volunteers.
One regiment lost none in killed,
wounded or missing, but has 419
claims for pensions pending.
The Senate on Tuesday ratified the
Samoan treaty without division. The
ratification occurred in the executive
session, after two hours Of debate,
which was participated in by n number
of senators. Messrs. Davis, Foraker
and Spooner advocated, and Senators
Bacon, Money and Tillman opposed
ratification. Senator Bacon made the
leading speech in opposition. He based
his objection on the general ground
that it was contrary to the spirit of our
institutions to attempt to govern any
people in opposition to their wishes.
He said that he was not opposed to the
new convention because Of any partial
ity felt for the old tripartite agreement,
which was quite as repugnant to him
as the new. He thought. however, n
means might be found to that end with
tV,ar -,,1N t.a,+ftr lNt y,
was repulsive to all American ideas of
liberty and independence. There was
no doubt of the intention to annex and
exercise sovereignty in the place of the
protectOrate, which was the distin-
gushing feature of the tripartite agree
ment of 1890.
Senator Morgan, as chairman of the
Senate committee on inter-oceanic ca
nails, has presented n written report
|, upon the Nicaragua canal bill. The re-
port says: "As n provision for the na-
val and military defense of our coun-
try, whether insular or continental,
this canal is indispensable, and the
closer its location is made to our states
on the Gulf of Mexico the more eff
cient will be its protection to our
coasts on the Atlantic and Pacific.
Pearl harbor in Hawaii, and the har
Dor of San Juan in Puerto Rico are the
true military defenses of the canal
against attack by European or Asiat!c
powers and they give Il more secure
protection to its eastern and western
outlets than any fortress, however
strong, that can he located at or near
its connection with the sea. Measured
by the income of the Suez canal, at Il
corresponding cost, the Nicaragua ca
nal should yield, with equivalent rates
of FOL nt
$40, 600, 900. 1t is too severe n tax up
on credulity to ask the adoption of the
precarious water supply at Panama in
preference to the two grand lakes of
the Nicaragua route. one of which is
100 miles long by forty-five miles broad
and affords nearly seventy-five miles
of fresh water navigation for the lar
gest ships, as part of the canal route,
ana together they supply more than ten
times the water needed TO supply the
canal line from Lake Nicaragua to
both oceans. We owe it to ourselves
and to the whole world that whatever
canal we shall build and control on
the isthmus of Darien shall be as open,
free and neutral to all nations as its
corresponding gateway, the Suez ca
nal"
The postmaster general has sent the
following letter to Chairman Loud of
the committee appointed to investigate
the charges that number of polyga-
mists are holding federal positions in
Utah. ION looking into the papers as
to the postmastership at Logan, Utah,
l find the fact to, be as follows: Orson
Smith was appointed postmaster No
vember 10, 1897, upon the recommended
ton of the referees in the usual way.
There was nothing in the papers to indi-
cate that he was polygamist, or that
such allegation had been made respect
ing him, not n word TO raise that ques-
ton in connection with the appoint