Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-12-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
lFrom our Regular CORRESPONDENTS

OcCs alot pun
lie example of the digniied and CON-
certed opposition which will be offered
by the democratic minority in Con
gress was afforded by the dissenting
| report of the democrats of the House
Committee on Ways and Means, on the
! Philippine tariff bill which was pres
ented to the House on last Friday. Mr..
Richardson presented the minority re-
port which denounced the measure as
another step in the we'll marked line
of Imperialism The report goes on
to say that We oppose the whole poll
cy of the majority 10 DEALING with the
Philippine Archipelago. We believe
that instead of the effort they are
making to set up and hold permanent
colonies, there should long since have
been inaugurated a policy assuring to
the people of those islands stable gov
eminent and their ultimate %independ-
ence
The report goes on to demonstrate
how thoroughly Impractical, even from
a commercial standpoint, is the repub-
lican policy and submits that in addi-
ton to the original $40, 900 600 paid to
Spain for the islands it has cost the
government the past year $50, 900, 900
to maintain the army of occupation,
without taking into account the in
creased expense, naval service and the
appalling number of lives which have
been sacrificed. In return for all this
the United States has received from
the islands trade amounting, during
the past year, to SIS, 1927, 706, while for
eign nations have received Philippine
trade amounting to- $4S. 600, 900 during
the same period.
The minority report will, of course,
have no effect upon the course of the
majority and the bill will be discussed
during the next two daysiand on We'd
nesday afternoon will be passed by the
the House. Mr.. Richardson's report
may, however, have the effect of open
ing the eyes of the public to the fright
full price the country is paying for the
qualification of republican imperialistic
ambitions.
There has been no party division on
the question of an ISthmian canal and
after a full discussion of the provisions
of the Hay P~auncefote treaty it will
come up today for ratification by the
Senate. 1t will meet with no serious
opposition. The majority of the Sena-
tors who will vote for ratification be-
lieYe that under the terms of the treaty
the United States will have the right
to fortify the canal, to grant conces
slons in the way OF rates to her own
coastwise trade and to close the canal
to an enemy in time of war.
The decision rendered on Friday by
the Schley Court of Inquiry has result
ed in a bitter disappointment for a
large majority of the People of the
United States. The selection Of Ad-1
miral Dewey as president of the Court
lead the people to believe that Admiral
Schley would receive the fairest treat
ment and that a verdict which would
practically exOnerate him would be
rendered. Some of the more conserva-
tive pointed out that merely technical
grounds the court might be obliged to
find that the Admiral been negligent
of certain duties and no one believed
that Admiral Dewey would finch from
criticising his brother officer if he
found grounds for 80 doing. As it Is,
the people have, from the minority re-
port submitted by Admlralt Dewey,
grounds for believing that even from a
technical standpoint there was nothing
r~eprehensible in the Admiral's conduct
and, at the same time, they have the
opinion of the majority of the court
that he was guilty On every count of
the ''precept." Needless to say the
friends of the Admiral feel that the
Navy Department knew what it was
doing when it selected the officers who
sat with Admiral Dewey.and that a
fair trial has not yet been had.
Attorney Raynor, who worked so
hard to clear his friend from every
charge, expresses himself as bitterly |
disappointed and believes that Admiral
Schley should appeal to the civil courts
for vindicatiOn. Whether Admiral
SChley will feel that he can afford such
a course or not remains to be seen. In
the meantime 1t is believed that Con-
gress will take up the matter and AXE
a thorough investigation looking not
only to an examination of the acts of
Admiral Schley in the premises but
with a further view to fixing the blame
for the MacIay history and, if it finds
Admiral Schley innocent of the charges
of the ~''precept," to bringing to light
those persons who are responsible for
what looks like a persecution.
The failure OF the Senate to confirm
the Presidents appointment of Attor-
Knox, as a member of the
Cabinet is caused Mr.. Roosevelt the
utmost annoyance and chargin. So
far as l can learn such a thing is I'M
In the confirmation of a
Cabinet officer and the delay argues
the greatest lack of confidence in the
of the Chief Executive.
The delay in confirmation is simply a
concession to the labor organizations
which have objected to Mr.. Knox on
,he ground of his alleged connection
With the trusts, but that makes it none
,he less notifying to Mr.. Roosevelt.
Fhe confirmation vas made Monday.