Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-02-09
WASHINGTON LETTER
The Work Of a Week at the Capital Of the
Nation.
Special to the Leader.


CT the Ship Subsidy Bill. This week
the Senate began holding night scs-.
s.ons, and more than a quorum of Re-
publican Senators have pledged them
selves to regularly attend them as long
as it may be necessary to bring the bill
to a vote There are already signs of
weakening in the ranks of the opposi-
ton, and several propositions have
been submitted to the Republicans
looking toward an agreement fora vote
Some of the Southern Senators have
had their eyes opened by petitions
from prominent Southern business
men, asking that the shipping bill be
passed. To let themselves down easy,
some Southern Senators have ex-
pressed Willingness to support the
bill if the amendment offered by Sena-
tor Clay, of Georgia, providing for the
of the Nicaraguan Canal,
be accepted by the Republicans. AS
the Republicans are as strongly in fa-
vcr of the Nicaragua Canal as they are
of the shipping bill, if this proposition
be serious one and not merely bluff.
the combination and early passage of
the two bills is probable.
Not even in the first days of his ad-
did President Mckinley
have as many callers as he did have
this week. The cause Is the desire of
Senators and Representatives regard
less of party, to secure the smaller
commission in the reorganized army
for constituents. While all this means
a lot of hard work for the President,
he is much gratifed that his recent
statement that these commissions
should go as far as possible to men
who nave seen service with the volun-
teers has been so generally accepted,
and that so far requests are being
made to him to give these commissions
to young men who have seen no mill
tary service.
Secretary Gage having informed the
House committee having charge of the
matter that he had received satisfact-
ory evidence that the Louisiana Pur-
chase Exposition Company had raised
the S10,000,000 required as prereuui-
Site to government aid, the bill appro-
priating $5000,OO0 for the Exposition,
to he held at st. Louis. has been IA
vorably reported to the House and will
be passed. ~
tp
Having no leader of their own that
they are willing to follow Democratic
Senators have taken the extraordinary
course of going outside of the Senate
for man to lead their fight against
the ship subsidy bill, and the man they
have set uD for their leader is ex-Sen-
tor German, who has been in charge
all this week. Whatever the effect of
this move may be on the fate of the
ship subsidy bill, and it is not likely 10
be important,it should furnish point
er to Bryan, Hill, Cleveland and other
would-be Democratic leaders in 1904.
Naturally, there is much talk about
5he nominations of general officers of
The army sent 10 the Senate by Presi-
lent Mckinley this week. and some
among the friends of
some officers whose names were not in
he list and those OF some who were in
he list. but not in the
part of It tina their friends
.hought they ought to be, but 1t
S admitted by those who are entirely
that the list is as fair a
'ne as could have been made out. 1t
vas made uD not on the President
Judgment alone, but by the unanimous
Judgment of his cabinet. 1t is utterly
lnfair to criticiEe the jumping of Cap
aims Leonard Wood and ]. Franklin
Bell, both of whom We're made brig
adler generals over other officers. as
both of them have performed disting-
lished services, the former in Cuba, of
which he is now military governor,a and
The latter in the Philippines where he
is serving as a brigadier general of
If there We're no jumping
in promotions, there would be no way
TO reward the junior officers of the
army for meritorious actions.
Gen. E. S. Otis, who is in Washing
ton, said on existing conditions in the
People in the United
States are inclined to believe that little
Roadway is being made toward sup
pressing the insurrection, but to one
who has been on the ground and is IA
millar with the situation, it is plainly
that the progress is steady
and sure. That such and such a town
has been occupied by the American
forces may not mean much to the lay
man but in the general scheme Of paci-
fication it may be full of significance.