Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-04-10
PORTO RICAN MIDDLE
REPUBLICAN, CONGRESSMeN RE.
CElvE MANY PROTESTS.
Cautious Members Who Have Gone
Home TO sonnd Their Constituents
Are Very Muck Depressed lnS csti-
CATION Of the Idaho Trouble.

Il J y
Of valuable time irving to agree ON
some sort of Porte Rican legislation
which they can pass IN the Senate and
have it run IT, gauntlet Of the House
in safety. The administration forces
| seem not to realize that it is the consti-
tutional principe involved which keeps
UP the popular protest on the Porto
Rican matter The protests still come
in and the cautious members Of Con
gress who have gone home TO sound
the feeling IN their districts return vely
much depressed.
The Senate cannot even make I'D It's
mind what kind Of 4 Porto Rican bin
il will take vote on. Senator Bey-
eridge has been ready TO crate amy day
for a week, and has had to diSappoint
his admirers because his Republican
| colleagues won't let the young man
make free-uade speech in the present
condition OF affairs Senator Jones.
Chairman Of the Democratic National
Committee, says that tho Republican
dissension is interesting the country SO
thoroughly thar It would be a pity for
the Democrats TO distract attention by
proposing opposition measures, The
Democrats are letting the Republicans
do the worrying and are satisfied that
the people of the country are getting
more and more dissatisfied with the
bungling and stupid manner in which
the Republicans are managing affairs
There is just one point on which the
Republicans harmonic. They agree
that they don't desire the protection Of
the Constitution for the new posses
sions. 1t is to be Imperialism. ana If
not that now military control until
after election the hope Icing that inn
perialism can be managed with four
years in which to deal with it. The
Democrats a.e very well satisfied to
let the question of Imperialism so be-
fore the people as a campaign issue 1t
is hard to say when the Porto Rican
middle win be settled. The senate
seems utterly unable to get together
enough Republican votes to pass the
L. per cent House bin, and any modl-
ication which might pass the Senate
would surely fail in the House 1t
looks like military government for
Porto Rico and confession that this
Republican Congress either could not
or would not legislate for the island
The ship subsidy bin has one queer
provision which is not generally kno wn.
1t provides that a ship drawing the
subsidy need have only one-third Of its
crew American seamen. This provision
includes officers. 50 that the crews
would be entirely foreign if the owners
desired. They would see to this be-
cause American seamen will not work
under the harsh conditions imposed on
American vessels. The argument used
about the availability of subsidized
vessels in time of war rather falls to
the ground when it is remembered that
they would be manned by foreign born
seamen not citizens of this country.
They could hardly be expected to fight
for this country. They are not going
to be subsidized. The promoters of the
bill are not at all confident of it's pass
age. They are willing to put it in any
shape, SO the subsidy clause is not dis
tuIbed
Representative Dick, aided by the
Republican majority of the House
Committee ON Military Affairs, is Civ
ing a fine exposition of the Republican
fondness for militarism. The investi-
cation of Occur d'Alene mining trou-
bles and the application of martial law
is still going on. Dick is most unfair
in his management of the whole thing.
When 1t is a question of some evasion
or concealment Of evidence that will
help the administration the strictest
rules of evidence are applied by the
Republican majority of the committee.
When it is witness, like Governor
Steunenberg for instance. lie is given
the widest possible latitude in order to
shield himself and the administration
from responsibility.
1t is not generally understood that
martial law is still In force In Idaho,
and for the express purpose of impos-
ing the permit" system on the work
men, The permit" to look for work
is given after a citizen swears that he
considers labor unions criminal and de
clarcs he never viii join one After
getting the permit ne is forced to
join a union managed by the Mine
Owners Association II he expects to
work in the mines This permit sys-
tenn is in direct violation Of the statute
law of Idaho Governor Steunenbcrg
put the responsibility for it upon Gen.
Merriam, and that means the admins
tration. 1t Is said here in Washington
that the wage-workers all over the
country will vote against Mckinley In
the coming election as protest against
the permit idea
The platform of the Nebraska Demo
Gratis is very fayorably regarded by the
party leaders in Washington. The
declaration against Imperialism is re-
garded as especially pointed and time
ly. The whole platform foreshadows
the national platform. except, perhaps,
in the one particular of the referendum
and initiative plank. This is regarded
as more applicable to State than ma
tionai matters.
The casualty list from the Philip
pines continues TO be something ap
palling. General Otis purposely sends
it so that it is not easy to count the
death list from day to day, but It Is
reaching into the hundreds every week.
The Republicans steer very shy Of the
whole Philippine question nowadays
They prefer to let it lie. The insurrec-
ton is not by any means over. The
Fiiipinos 60 right into Manila and
hatch plots under General Ot.s' nose
and he cannot locate them. The army
Of Is. 900 men is to bc kept in the Phil
ippines right along. and orders have
been received to recruit It up TO its full
strength.
The administration forces arc watch
ing and waiting for the proper opportu-
nifty TO pass the bill continuing McKn
ley as the military dictator; but they
fear to open the question because IL
viii involve 4 worse fight among them