The Opelousas courier., 1900-12-01

"Whatever else is left undone,
hurry with the army BILL" That is
the sum and substance Of what Mr..
Mckinley says to every prominent
Republican Senator and Represent
ative, who goes to the White
House. The reason he wishes the
, legislation for the increase of the
army hurried, is, that he has re-
ceiyed hint that the decision of
. the U. S. Supreme Court will be
against the constitutionality OF the
Porto Rico Act, which would mean
that the U. S. would have to relin-
quish ownership of the Philippines,
and would consequently have no
use for large standing army. He
wishes to get the big army provided
for before the court hands down it's
decision, and it will not be sur
prising if the Attorney General SO
manipulates the case as to prevent
its conclusion until after the end of
this Congress, as Mr. Mckinley
might prefer not having Congress
in session should the decision be
ayerse. This story sounds incred-
ulous, but it is being seriously talk
ed about in political circles, and
there have been other eases i'll which
administrations have been given ad-
vance hints of important decisions
of the Supreme Court. Any mem
ber of the court can usually make a
pretty nearly correct guess of how
, his colleagues will stand upon i'm
portant decisions from their talk in
/ q general way to each other.
Whether the whole story is correct
: or not, it is absolutely certain that
Mr.. Mckinley is plainly showing
, his anxiety of the speedy passage
by Congress of the Army bill.
The Isthmian Canal Commission
has handed Mr.. Mckinley its pre-
, liminary report. AS expected it
favors the Nicaragua route for the
Canal. The Panama Company's
lobbyists are moving Heaven and
earth to prevent legislation by
Congress, in favor of the Nicaragua
Canal.
Representative Champ Clark, of
, Mo-, returned to Washington, feel
ing as chippy as usual. He said !:
81 am not downcast or discouraged
by the licking we got. The most
: unpleasant feature is it will take
: us six Or eight years to get the
. Senate. AS to the proposition to
reorganize the democratic party, it
is fact in natural history that the
tail cannot wag the dog; and the
same is true in politics. The party
{ does not need recognizing to begin
5 with. 1t is thoroughly organized,
and even if it were to be reorganiz-
r ed, it would not be from the out
: side. We want everybody to come
: in that feels like helping us, but we
E have a perfect organization Of our
own.n OF the probable work OF
! this session of Congress Mr.. Clark
: said: 81 think this will be all ex-
tremely busy session. The main
thing the republicans will do will
be to ratify the Hay Pauncefote
treaty and pass q Nicaragua Canal
9 bill, in accordance with it, and to
: pass Mark Hanna's ship-subsidy
bill. If the Supreme Court de-
: cides the Porto Rican act uncon
stitutional, then the republicans
!, will run races with us as to which
: will drop the Philippines first. But
Il il it is decided to be constitutional
e then this session of Congress viii
/ have to pass some kind of q bill fol
l the government and control of The
e islands. This, with the routine
:. measures and the new apportion
mont under the last census viii
make it an exceedingly bus,
y session.
J The reception OF the proposition
l. advanced by the radical republi
L cans to reduce the representation
e of the Southern states which have
II restricted negro suffrage, has beer
'e of such general condemnation tina
q it has been abandoned for the pres
u ent session and will not figure il
'e the re-apportionment bill whicl
will doubtless become law in th
: near future, but some of it's advo
= = Gates hint their intention to try t.
= = get the question before the loni
y session of the next Congress.
y In the case of Minister Congel
- this government is presenting th
y - extraordinary spectacle OF keepin
- man at his post, which is suppos
2 ed to carry much authority an
discretion and at the same tim
i proposing a scheme to the powers
= = to absolutely ignore him. Becaus
- = Minister Congrer has views of hi
!, y own, instead of having adopte
y those with which the Chimes
- Minister at Washington has inocl
ce lated the Mckinley administration
OF u proposition has been made b
this government to the powers il
); terested to take fhe negotiation ft
- - a settlement with China out of I'll
- = hands of the foreign ministers :
= J. Pekin, and make fresh sta
I. I. through commission. The groun
~, " for this is the alleged fear that I'll
9 present negotiations will fail b
- -.r,,e-< 4l,o forni,r,, Yn: N icforS af pnHi