The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1901-05-09
WASHINGTON.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, May 6, 1901.

that this administration is unfriendly
to the rich corporations, in view of
the donation it is now Openly accept
ing from them. The Mckinley
excursion train will cost not cent
less than $5o,ooo-probably consider
able more-and it is being accepted
as gift by Mr.. Mckinley and his
fellow travellers. Yet, officers in the
Philippines are being tried by court
martial for exacting bribes of few
thousand dollars from army contract
ors. There is not even a pretense
that any person in the Mckinley train
is paying cent for the trip. The
Pullman monopoly furnishes the cars,
and each railroad over which it passes
furnishes the motive power and the
eatables, drinkables, etc, during its
transit over its lines, and the bill of
fare is as good as that furnished by
the most expensive hotels. No man
of ordinary intelligence believes that
corporations give away money without
exactng its return in favors of some
sort. Mr. Mckinley knew that when
he accepted this donation that he In
cured an obligation to the donors
which would sooner or later have to
be met, and the intelligent people of
this country know it, too, and will
doubtless express their opinion of the
transaction, at the polls, when their
next opportunity comes.
Has the Supreme Court agreed to
decide Porto Rico to be a part of the
U. S.-that the Constitution follows
the flag-and that the Porto Rican
tariff bill was unconstitutional ? Many
lawyers believe it has, and that the
decision will not be handed down
until next December, when Congress
will be in session, because to hand it
down before would make an extra
session of Congress necessary. 1t is
thought that this is fully known to
the administration, as Solicitor Cen
eral Richards, who knew the rule Of
the U. S. Supreme Court that only
citizens of the U. S. can become
members of its bar, made the motion
to admit FREDERICK Degetau, resident
Porto Rican Commissioner, to practice
before that court. The motion was
granted. Previously the president of
the Civil Service Commission had
decided that citizens of Porto Rico
were citizens of U. S.
Mr.. Montague White, Boer agent
in the U. s., has been in Washington
for some days. While he does not
publicly admit that his object was to
sound the administrator to ascertain
how it would receive President Kruger
if he paid the U. S. visit, there are
reasons to believe this to have been
his object. Mr.. White said that Mr..
Kruger had a strong desire to visit
America and intimated that he might
do so next fall. English influence is
too great with the administration for
Mr.. Kruger to hope for any more
official recognition, if he comes, than
was given to his ENJOYS last year.
The first claim to be filed with the
Spanish Claims Commission in which
damages are asked for other than
property losses is that of Mrs. A. T..
DeGovin, for the death of her son,
Charles Gown, an American citizen,
who accompanied one of the flibuster
expeditions on the steamer Three
Friends to Cuba, as correspondent of
a Key West Paper, was captured and
executed by order of the commander
of a body of Spanish troops, notwith-
standing his American citizenship and
that as a newspaper correspondent, he
was a non-combatant. She asks $6o,-
900 damages.
Admiral Dewey occupied the seat
of honor at dinner given in Wash
lngton to celebrate Dewey Day, and
among the guests were twenty-five
officers who participated in the battle
OF Manila Bay, including Capt. Wildes,
who commanded the Boston; Capt.
Lamberson, of the Flagship Olympia,
and Capt. Walker, of the Concord.
The dinner was informal, without set
speeches, the intention being to make
it merely a social jollifcation.
A Congressional party largely made
up of Democrats, have arranged to go
to the Philippines on the U. S. trans
port Engless, which will start from
New York IN a few weeks, to be gone
about four months. The party will
consist of Senators Bacon, of Cal;
Harris, of Kansas; and Turner of
Nosb;noton and ReDresentatiyes