Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-07-31

From our Regular Correspondent

as the Chinese minister still claims
Minister Conger and the other foreign
ministers In Pekin are alive and I'M
harmed, the wisdom Of the admins
tratlon In taking the words of the
Chinese government for truth until
proved otherwise will be admitted 10y
all, and even if the worst comes and
ii G reported massacre of all the
foreigners in Pekin turns out to be
true, nothing will have been lost by
the policy Of the president. Whether
the undoubtedly authentic message
from Minister Conger, dated july 4, re-
presenting a state of anarchy in Pekin
and that the lives of all the foreigners
were in great danger is confrmatory
of the authenticity of the previous
messages from him, received through
the Chinese minister, or of duplicity
on the part of the Chinese, is and
must remain a matter Of opiuion IN.
til more definite news is received. AS
the matter nov stands, if the for
eigners in Pekln are rescued it must
DE by the aid Of the Chinese govern
ment, as it is impossible that they
could remain in a state OF Imminent
peril until the allied forces now
gathering at Taku become strong
enough to march to Pekin That be
ing the case, the friendly attitude of
this government toward the Chinese
government Is certainly e,likely
to produce the desired result than
the unfriendly and openly suspicious
attitude Of the European govern
ments. 1t is hoped in Washington
that the reported detention OF Lii
Hung Chang At Shanghai as a host
age by the allied powers is not true.
Holding him can do no possible good
and might do much harm.
Senator Platt, Of Connecticut, was
IN Washington this week TO get
copies Of the official report made by
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral Bristow on the theCuban Postal
system and its robbery by Nicely,
and talk over the details with Mr..
Bristow, as they Will have bearing
upon the investigation to be made
by tn senate commi tee on Cnhan
relations, Of which Mr. Patt is
chairman. OF that investigation
Senator Platt said: "A searching
investigation into the expenditure { {
Cuban funds Is being made bv the
postoffice and war departments. and
when they are prepared to report to
the senate committee their findings.
We will have something upon which
to begin work. There Is no reason
to doubt that the auditing Of Cuban
accounts by these departments will
he correct, and it would hardly be
sensible thing for the committee to
start In to do over what is already
being done. When the departments
in charge OF the disbursement OF
Cuban funds are ready 70 report
how much money they have spent
and what they have spent
it for, the committee will begin an
inquiry to learn whether the expend-
lures were legitimate and justifiabl
The public can be assured that the
investigat on will be a thorough one,
aud if the committee finds evidences
Of corruption or extravaganza, ITS
findings will be made public. Til =
wrong doings OF no one will be
covered up"
Mr. w. w. RockhiIl, director of
the bureau Of American republics,
who has been chosen TO 60 to China
As special commissioner. because Of
| bis knowledge of the Chinese people
and language, will sail from San Fran
| cisco at the earliest possible date.
His duty Will be to report actual
conditions to the president. i
Minister Conger is alive, Mr.. Rockhill
will perform no diplomatic functions
in China, but if Mr.. Conger has been
killed or incapacitated, he will have
full authority to represent the United
States automatically.
The making puolic of the report OF
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral Bristow of his investigation OF
| the irregularities in the Cuban Postal
| system shows that the adminlstra-
ton has kept its promise to probe
| the irregularities to the bottom and
to correct the abuses and to take
proper steps for the punishment OF
| the guilty.
There is no denying that there is a
fear among the Republican leaders
that the same calm confidence in the
ability of the party TO win without
their help, which kept many Republ-
cans from working and voting in
1892 and resulted IN Republican
defeat, may result in the
election of Democratic majority
Of the next house. Senator O. H.
Platt voiced the opinion Of
many when be said of this
possibility: Il trust such a calamity
will not happen, for it would b- a
Gala unity. Men who say it would
not make any difference are
greatly mistaken. Suppose that
a house should be elected that
would pass a bill to repeal the
gold standard law and provide for
the unlimited coinage ofsilver dollars.
Does any man believe that such &C
tion would not derange business, inn
pair confidence and invite dlsaster?"