The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-12-28
WASHINGTON LlI''I'L
INTEREST IN THE TREATY AND TT:
SHIPPING BILL CONTINUES.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 25.-Public inter
est still continues to center upon the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty and the ship
ping bill. Correspondents of the lead
Ing newspapers of the country located
In Washington are constantly being re-
| minded by their editors that all the
| facts and gossip on these subjects are
| eagerly read by the people, and conse-
quently the attention devoted to them
| occupies considerable portion of the
| daily space devoted in the press of the
| country to Washington news. 1t is
somewhat curious and not insignificant
that the general run of matter on the
| shipping bill in particular should have
| been so favorable. That a powerful
! lobby representing the interests of for
| eign steamship lines known to be op-
! posed to this bill is located in Wash
ington is well known in newspaper cir
cles, but the disquieting thing is the
readiness with which responsible news
papers and their experienced CORE
| spondents here accept as true state
| ments known to have emanated from
! that source.
This is all the more striking since
nothing is done by the friends Of the
measure to offset this propaganda. All
| talk to the contrary notwithstanding
| there is no lobby here in the interest of
the shipping bill, and not the least pres
sure is being put upon members to ia
vor it. That the contrary is true with
respect to the opponents of the bill
every member of congress knows. Not
alone are members approached and
| sounded" as to their views on the
shipping bill, but they are daily in re-
ceipt of documents opposing it, which
| documents, curiously enough, all come
| from the same source. 1t would be diff
ferent if the opposition to the shipping
bill were at all widespread or general.
On the contrary, however, it is restrict
ed and limited, although extremely ac-
tive. For this reason people should be
| very cautious how they accept as true
stories put afioat against the bill, and
most of all they should remember that
its defeat is desired by every interest
opposed to the best welfare of the
United States.
The fate Of the Hay-Pauncefote trea-
ty now hinges upon the disposition of
the British government. If the latter
is willing to accept it in it's amended
form, as there is growing reason to be-
lieve it will, then the way will not only
| be smoothed for the construction of the
Nicaragua canal by the United States,
but the hampering restrictions of the
famous Clayton-Bulwer treaty will no
longer remain a nightmare to disturb
the otherwise friendly relations be-
tween the United States and Great
Britain. The tact that Great Britain
displays in it's treatment Of the amend
ed treaty will have most powerful in
duence upon the negotiations, probably
soon to be resumed, to settle the differ
ences existing between the United
States and Canada. Great Britain can
well afford to be satisfied with the
Hay-Pauncefote treaty if she is dis
Greet enough in her diplomacy to ac-
cept it graciously, assured that Ameri-
cans will approach a solution of the
other differences in a spirit Of liberal
ity that will go far to effecting a final
settlement on all Of the questions in
dispute.
Since Senator Hanna blossomed out
as an orator he is in receipt Of congrat-
ulatory kilograms and letters from all
sorts Of people. Many Of them Of
course come from political and person
al friends, but the large majority Of
them come from people who are per-
feet strangers to him. They are all
anxious to procure copies of his speech,
and in some cases considerable num-
bers are asked for by those evincing an
enthusiasm or deep interest in the sub
ject and who are anxious to spread the
speech among their friends. The sena-
tor says that the most gratifying of all
Of these requests is the fact that so
many of them come from the south
| and from self confessed Democrats,
some of whom admit that they are op-
posed to him politically. but in sympa-
| thy with him in his efforts to place our
shipping in the foreign trade upon a
position that will add to the nations
military and commercial strength.
ss.
If one were to believe the statements
put out by the opposition press, he
would be convinced that Senator Han
ma had aroused the resentment of ey-
cry one of his colleagues in the senate.
He is pictured as being DESTROYS of
bossing things in the senate and riding
| roughshod over those who have come
to be known as "old timers" in that
great deliberatiye chamber, whereas as
q matter of fact no man in the senate
is more careful than Senator Hanna to
observe the traditions and customs and
especially to defer to the experienced
Judgment of his colleagues upon all
matters of procedure. But In the case
of the shipping bill, which has aroused
these maliciously untrue statements
concerning him, he has been identified
with the subject from the day he first
crossed the threshold of the senate, and
1t is the one great measure with which
his name is identified. He resents be-
cause of its utter untruth every state
hent that directly or indirectly charges
him with having anything more than
public and patriotic interest in the
measure. His lake marine interests
are not and cannot be in the least af-
fected by either the passage or the de-
feat of the shipping bill, and he abso-
lutely has no pecuniary interest what
ever In ships or shipping elsewhere.
J. B. NJ.