Middletown transcript., 1901-05-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, is 10,581 miles. President
Harrison nearly made as long trip in
1891, when he left Washington April 14th
and returned May 10Th, after having
travelled 9,228 miles. President McKin-
ley, like President Harrison, opposing
travelling on Sunday, except in cases of
absolute necessity, and the special train
will be side-tracked every Sunday during
the trip, the schedule giving the follow
ing in the order named as the Sunday
stopping places: San Antonio, Texas;
Del Monte and San Francisco, CAL; Spo-
kane, Wash; Salt Lake City, Utah, and
Chicago. Four members of the Cabinet,
Secretaries Hay, Hitchcock and Wilson
and Postmaster General Smith, left Wash
ington with the President, and Secretary
Long, who has gone to visit his daughters
in Colorado, will join him before San
Francisco is reached. One car of the
special train is fitted out as the Presidents
office and the presence of Secretary Cor
telyou and several of the White House
corps of stenographers, will make it as
easy for the President to transact execu-
tive business on the train, as he could in
Washington. But unless something un-
expected tuins up, he doesn't expect to
give much time to business. There is no
need for him to do so, as there is little
likelihood of anything having to be dis
posed of before his return that cannot be
handled by the three members of the
Cabinet-Secretaries Root and Gage and
Attorney General Knox, left in Washing
ton. In fact, the business of the govern
ment is just now largely routine, both do
mestic and outside.
~
Mr.. L. c. Willis, Mayor of Shelbyville,
KY, and good Republican, who is now
in Washington, thinks the Democrats of
the State are recovering from their long
attack Of partisan delirum. He said: 81
think that daylight is coming for our poll
tician difficulties in Kentucky, and it
will be source of much qualification to
all of our people. The aequittal of Capt |
Ripley, by the jury at Frankfort, the hot
bed of agitation over the killing of Goe-
bel, is assign that the Court and Jury are
determined to give the accused man a |
fair trial. That is all that anybody on
either side can ask. This action proba-
bly, forecasts the acquittal of most of the
other suspects who are yet to be tried. !
There is one noticeable difference between
the recent trial and those which were
held last year. The Ripley jury were
drawn out of the wheel as provided in
the Kentucky law, but last year Judge
Cantrill, when the panel was exhausted,
directed the sheriff to make up the jury.
1t is pretty well understood what kind of
a jury sheriff will get in,such cases."
Attorney General Knox will endeavor
to obtain $75O,OOO located in several
banks as belonging to Captain T. NJ. Car
ter, who is now in prison for defrauding
the government in connection with the
of the harbor of Savannah,
Ga, of which he was in charge.
~
The visit of the Cuban committee to
Washington has not only been pleasant
to all concerned, but it has been produc-
tive of much good. The doubts which
the Cubans said they and their fellow
of the Constitutional conyen-
tion had as to the construction of that
clause of the Platt amendment in which
the right was reserved by this govern
nent, to intervene whenever in its judg-
nent it might become necessary to pre-
'erve order in Cuba was all cleared away
oy the explanations made by President
and Secretary Root, and they
low see the establishing of naval coaling
stations in Cuba by the United States in
/ much more favorable light than they
lid when the matter was discussed, in
he convention. Those two clauses OF the
olatt amendment are the only ones that
we're seriously opposed by the convention.
Members of the Committee have said
that they would recommend TO
he convention when they return, which
will be at once, that the Platt amend
nent be accepted, and have expressed the
pinion that the recommendation will
,e favorably acted upon. The Cubans :
lid great deal of talking about the gen. !
raj desire of the people of the island to
btain reductions in our tariff on sugar
nd tobacco, even after they were made
ully understand that the tariff was
uestion that Congress only could deal
Fith President Mckinley, however.
old them that after tie Cuban govern !
lent had been organized, he would be
leased to appoint commissioners to ne
otiate with its representatives, com
,ercial reciprocity treaty.
~
Secretary Hay held quite reception
efore he left Washington. Many of the
lost prominent members or the diploma Q
C corps intend going to Europe this
and expect to be gone before
ecretary Hay returns Consequently I
ley called, not only to say goodbye and
xpress their good wishes, but to Incl
entally put in word or two on diplo-
Iatic matters. Secretary Hay stated Z
lat he had secured the views of sufi-
ent number of Senators to justify the
elief that new Isthmian Canal treaty
IN be negotiated with Great Rritain that {
i'll be ratified by the Senate. 1t is ex- .
ected that the new treaty will be ready
= the time Congress assemblies.
WASHINGTON