The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1901-02-01

OUR WASHINGTON LETTER..
WASHINGTON, D. c., January 2Sth

WASHINGTON, D. c., January 2Sth.
MIR. EDIToR:-If an extra session of
Congress has to be called to pass the Ship
Subsidy bill, as now seems probable, the
republicans are going to make Philippine
legislation the excuse for the extra session.
After leading republican Senators had re-
peatedly said that there was to be no Phil
ippine legislation by this Congress, and
Senator Spconer had abandoned his bill,
which, by the way, gives the President
about the same authority over a Civil
Government in the Philippines that he
now exercises under his authority as
Commander in Chief of our Military
forces, and announced his intention to
try to get Congressional Committee sent
to the Philippines, it was little surpris-
ing and at first confusing for Mr.. McKin-
ley to send a report from the Philippine
Commission to Congress, urging the i'm
mediate passage of the Spooner bill, rein
forcing it with the Endorsement of Secre-
tary Root and his own. Mr.. Mckinley
knows the absolute impossibility of getting
the Philippine legislation asked for in thu
short time left of this session, and only
sent the report and message to Congress
to prepare the way for an extra session of
the next Congress, in which some of the
most active opponents Of the Ship Subsidy
bill will not have seats, if it becomes nee
essary.
Democrats are not worrying over the
extra session question. They can stand
it if the republicans can, and neither the
fear of it nor the desire for it will influence
a single democratic vote or lessen demo-
cratic opposition to a single measure
which is opposed on principle.
Mr.. Mckinley las tried to lessen the re-
publican scramble for army commissions
in the expanded regular army by announc-
ing that he intended to give those COM
missions to men who had served in the
Philippines with the volunteers as far as
possible to do so. The qualification was
doubtless added because he knows very
we'll that some of those commissions will
be demanded by men whose demands he
dare not turn down. A big republican
row is probable over the distribution of
these places.
Senator Towne, whose successor is ex
pected to present his credentials during
the present week, made his farewell Con-
gressional bow in what many of his ad-
mirers declare to have been the best
speech he ever made. The speech was
nominally made on the following resolu-
ton, offered by him: THAT justice, the
public welfare, and the national honor
demand the immediate cessation of hos
tilities in the Philippine islands upon
terms recognizing the independence of
the Philippine people and conserving and
guaranteeing the interests of the United
States" but it was not confined to the
political conditions and the outlook for
the immediate future, incidentally show
ing how unwise Mr.. Mckinley and his
advisers have been in most of their poll
cies.
Senator Bacon has been given the honor
of being desi grated to read Washing ton's
farewell address to the Senate on WASH
ington's birthday.
The brewers put the screws on Senator
Hanna, and he in turn put them on the
Senate Committee on Finance, and the
result is that the amended bill for the re.
duction of war taxes, as reported to the
Senate, keeps Hanna's promise to the
brewers in exchange for their campaign
contributions, and reduces the tax on beer
to $3.50 a barre. And it is dollars to
brass buttons that the House will agree to
this, although when the bill was before
the House, an amendment fixing the tax
at those figures was voted down.
The House Committee on Banking and
Currency has reported two financial bills,
but whether either will get acted upon is
not yet certain. The Committee has
adopted resolution making one of them,
the Hill bill for establishing the parity.be-
tween the silver dollar and gold, a special
order in the House with two days for de-
bate, but that resolution will have to be
o. KID by the Committee on Rules before
it becomes effective. The other measure
reported is the Overstreet bill for main
tanning at all times the parity of the
standard silver dollar with gold. Two
democratic members of the Committee
briggs, of New York, and Thayer, of
Massachusetts-vo with the republi-
cans in favor Of reporting the latter bill.
To judge from the talk of Senators one