Middletown transcript., 1901-04-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.

der to find the time to do his part of the
work he has had to announce that he
would see no callers except upon impor-
tant public business. 1t can hardly be
said that the committee from the Cuban
Constitutional Convention are on impor-
tant public business, so useless is their
trip to Washington, but President Nc
Kinley has promised to see them and he
will do so. 1t will not take long for him
to say all he has to say to them. He has
had talk with Gen. Wood, who came
ahead of the Cubans, and who had pre-
viously told them about the same thing
that the President will say to them. By
special appointment President Mckinley
will receive the two new Senators from
Nebraska. Senator Dietrich he knows
very well, but he will meet Senator Mil
lard for the first time.
~
Gen. Macarthur cables that Aguinaldo's
manifesto acknowledging American SOW
ereignty of the Philippines has been well
received and that he has no doubt it will
very shortly put an end to all armed re-
sistance to our authority; also that the
petty frauds in the commissary depart
ment at Manila, which have been so
greatly magnified in this country, are
being thoroughly Investigated.
~
Judge S. w. Dimmick, the Alabama
member of the Republican National CON-
mittee who is now in Washington, said
of the political outlook: 'The Republi-
can nominee for the Presidency in 1904
will undoubtedly figure prominently in
the congressional campaign of next year.
Thus far there has been absolutely no
sentiments expressed in the South about
candidates, SO far as I know. l do not
believe President Mckinley will try in
the least to influence the selection of his
Republican successor, but inherently,
whether he will or not, his administra-
ton is certain to have no small power in
naming the man SO far as the South is
concerned. Mr.. Mckinley has done
marvels for the South since he became
President and Democrats as we'll as Re
publicans recognize the fact"
*x*
The Department of Agriculture observed
Arbor Day Monday by formal exercises,
Il hxyG
and the plantingo of several trees in the
grounds of the Department, one of them
an oak, named in honor of Hon. Jere-
miah M. Rusk, former Secretary of Agri
culture Secretary Wilson believes this
official example is the best way to en-
courage the general observation of Arbor
Day by tree planting throughout the
country, and he intends to repeat it annu-
ally.
~
Secretary Root has had a new Cuban
problem presented for his consideration,
and it is knotty one, too. When the
; Foraker amendment prohibiting the
granting of public franchises in Cuba dur
| ing its occupancy by the United States
. military authorities went through Con-
gress, almost without opposition, there
was special enactment, intended for the
benefit of the sugar plantations and other
| industries, permitting the owners of land
in Cuba to build railroads thereon with
out government permission. Taking ad-
vantage of that, wealthy syndicate,
mostly Canadians, headed by Sir William
Van Horne, bought strip of land two
hundred miles long, between Santa Clara
and Santiago, and started the eonstruc
ton of railroad. There was no trouble
about getting right of way across the
jurisdictions of the several Cuban NUM-
cipalities along its route, their right in
that direction having been left them, but
it was soon discovered that the railroad
could not cross public highway without
consent of this government. Sir William
Van Horne spent several days in Wash
ington trying to secure that consent.
The Cubans are anxious that this railroad
should be completed, but Secretary Root
is in doubt whether giving the consent
of this government to the crossing of the
public highways by the railroad would
be violation OF the Foraker anti-fran-
chise amendment Attorney-General
Knox has been called upon to assist in
solving the problem.
~
The fiscal year ending June 80, 1901
promises to beat the record in the value
of our exports. Last year they reached
the enormous amount of 81, 1874 900, 900,
but the experts of the Treasury Bureau
of Statistics are certain that will be
largely exceeded this year and confident
that the amount will go beyond billion
and a half dollars. At the close of
March, the gain on last year was more
than $50, ,000,0 In this years increase
the farmers of the country are the chief
benefciaries, their products showing a
greater percentage of increase than those
of the manufacturers, while last year and
the year before the manufacturers were
the largest gamers. With this showing, |
added to the fact that this government
now owns more gold than it ever owned |
before and more than any other govern |
ment in the worlds recorded history |
ever owned, surely Republicans have a
right to feel proud of their administration,
their Congress and their party.
*x*
Senator Frye, who has just returned |
from visit to San Domingo, where he
went for rest. said of that island: eve
do not want San Domingo-not even as a
gift. The natives think we do however.
They are suspicious of everything that an
American does. It would be good thing
for them hut had thing for nc If WE |