The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-11-30
washington LETTER
From our regular Correspondent.

| WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-"whatever else is
left undone, hurry with the army bill" That
is the sum ard substance of what Mr.. McKin-
ley says to every prominent Republican SeDa-
tor and Representative, who goes TO the White
| House. The reason he wishes the legislation
for the increase of the army hurried s, thathe
has received hint that the decision of the U. $.
| Supreme Court will be against the constitu-
i tionalty of the Porto Rico act, which
/ would mean that the United States would
| have to relinquish ownership of the Philippines
| and would consequently have no use for q
| large standing army. He wishes to get the big
| army provided for before the Court hands
| down Its decision. and it will not be surprising
| if the Attorney General so manipulatcs 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 incredulous, but it is being seriously
talked about in political circles, and there
have been other cases in which adminstra-
| tions have been given advance hints of i'm
portant decisions of the Supreme Court. Any
member of the court can usually make a
pretty nearly correct guess of how his col
leagues will stand upon important decisions
from their talk in 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
Mfr. Mckinley its preliminary report. AS ex-
pected it favors the Nicaragua route for the |
Canal. The Panama Company's lobbyists are |
moving Heaven and earth to prevent legisla- |
ton by Congress, in favcr of the Nicaragua |
Canal.
According to Representative Hull, Chair |
man of the House Committee on Military At
fairs. which is now trying to put together an
army bill that will be supported by all the
Republicans. many of whom have publicly
expressed widely differing opinions of what
the bills should provide for, especially as to
the number of men, the volunteers in the
Philippines will not be brought home until
regulars, enlisted under the bill not even yet
written can be sent to take their places. At
least that is a fair construction to place upon
MIR. Hull's own words.-"The army now i'll the
Philippines will have to be brought home in the |
summer, that is, those Of the men who do NOT |
care to re.enlst. The transports which 20 out
for them, should depart laden with the troops |
who are to replace them"
Representative Champ Clark, of Mo-. re-
turned to Washington, feeling as chippy as
usual. He said: II am not downcast or dis |
couraged 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 pro- |
position to reorganize the Democratic party.
it is fact in natural history that the tail can
not wag the dog, and the same is true in poll
tics. The party does not need reorganizing TO |
begin with. 1t is thoroughly organized, and |
even if it were to be recognized. it would not |
be from the outside. We want everybody TO
come in that feels like helping us, butwe have |
perfect organization of our OWN Of the
probable work of this session of Congress Mr.
Clark said: II think tins will be an extremely l
busy session. The main thing the Republic |
cans will do will be to ratify the Hay-Paunce-
fote treaty and pass Nicaragua Canal bill. in |
accordance with it, and to pass Mark Hanua's |
ship-subsdy bill. If the Supreme Court de-
cides the Porto Rican act unconstitutional,
then the Republicans will run races with us as
to which will drop the Philippines first. But
if it is decided to be constitutional, then this
session of Congress will have to pass some |
kind of bill for the government and control
of tie islands. This, with the routine meas |
ures and the new superintendent under the
last census will make it an exceedingly busy |
session."
Il
by the radical Republicans to reduce the l
representation of the Southern States which
have restricted negro suffrage, has been of such
general condemnation that it has been aband-
oned for the present session and will not |
figure in the re-apportionment bill which will
doubtless become law in the near future, but
some of its advocates hint their intention to
try to get the question before the long session |
of the next Congress.
In the case of Minister Conger, this govern
ment is presenting the extraordinary spectacle
of keeping man at his post, which is sup |
posed to carry much authority and discretion |
and at the same time proposing u scheme TO
the powers, to absolutely ignore him. Be-
cause Minister Conger has views of his own,
instead of having adopted those with which
the Chinese Minister at Washington has inocu-
lated the Mckinley administration, Il pro- |
position has been made by this government to \
the powers interested to take the negotiation
for settlement with China out of the hands of
the foreign ministers at PekIn, and make a
fresh start through commission. The ground |
for this is the alleged fear that the present
will fail because the foreign min |
listers at Pekin cannot agree.