Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-05-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.

kfIOIu our neg SpOuucubJ
Washington, April 29.-Mr. McKin-
| ley's record breaking Presidential free
excursion left Washington today on
it's little jaunt of 1851 miles. The
special train consists of seven Pullman
cars, each selected as the most elegant
of it's kind. The trip will cost thou
sands of dollars, but it is doubtful
whether a cent of it will come out of
the pocket of any one of the 3S pass
engers. Secretary COrtenyOu was thor
oughly alive to the advertising posi-
bilities of the trip, when he arranged
that more than one-fourth of the pass
engers should be newspaper men, and
he took care that there should be ar
lists among them. Also, that good
photographer should be on the train,
as we'll as telegraph operators. There
are nine ladies to keep Mrs. Mckinley
company, and DIR. Rixey is on hand to
look after her health, and that OF the
rest of the party.
The member of that Cuban Com
mlttee left Washington hugging the
delusion that Mr.. McKinley's promise
to appoint Commissioners to negotiate
reciprocity treaty with Cuba, as soon
as Cuba had a government to negotiate
with, meant something tangible. IN
less the Senate should treat it better
than it did the whole bunch of reci-
procity treaties negotiated by the pres
ent administration, the actual negotia-
ton of such a treaty would be mean
ingless Still, the promise sent the
CubanS home in a good humOr and
that was doubtless all it was intended
to do. The Cubans on their side prom
lsed to do their best to get the Consti-
tutiOnal convention to accept the Platt
amendment. 1t will soon be apparent
WI ether their promise was worth any
more than Mr.. Nckinley's.
Nothing but praise is heard of the
action of Mr.. Mckinley, taken in re-.
spouse to written req uest of Sena-
tor Daniel. of Va, in ordering that the
Washington relics, which have for
some years been on exhibition in the
National Museum, be restored to their
proper owner. Gen. 6. W. G. Lee, a son
of Gen. R. E. Lee, from whose house,
at Arlington, the relics were taken at
the opening of the civil war. While it
was action that should have vOluntari-
ly been taken years ago, by some presi-
dent, Mr.. Mckinley Is entitled to cred
it for taking 1t, even at this late day,
and to more credit for the manly letter
to Senator Daniel, in which he an
nouced his intention to do so.
All the administration influence will
be used to get Minister E. H. Conger,
nominated for Governor by the Iowa
ropnhI,0opu Not haoo,,,o
COnger over well or desired to see him
honored, but because it doesn't wish
him to return to China as u. s. Minis
ter, nor to tell him that he cannot. In
other words, for purely selfish reasons,
the administration wishes Mr.. Conger
nominated for governor of Iowa. He
dlspleased the administration several
times during the negotiations in Pc
kin, and he has displeased it again by
his published interviews since he
reached the U. s., but his standing
with the powerful missionary element
in this country is such that the admin.
istration is afraid to kick him out of
the diplomatic service.
Secretary Hay announced before he
left Washington that he had secured a
sufficiently definite statement of Sena
torial views, to inform him just what
sort of new Isthmian Canal treaty
with England, would be sure to receive
the support of tWo-thirds of the Soma.
tors. Senators who ought to know
something about the views of their
colleagues on this subject, think that
this announcement were like many
others made in the diplomatic world
misleading without being untrue. One |
of them said: ANY Senator could have
told Mr.. Hay off hand just what sort
of treaty would be sure of ratifica-
ton by the SeEate-the amended Hay |
Pauncefote treaty was one sort, but
that didn't suit England, and unless
there is some craw fishing in England,
it is very doubtful that any treaty that
will suit two thirds of the Senate will |
suit England. The radical point of |
difference is that two thirds of the |
Senate believe in American control of |
the Canal, while England doesn't. =,