Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-05-10
WASHINGTON, May 3, 1901.
(From our regular correspondent)

1t was idle for Republicans to deny
that this administration is unfriendly
to the rich corporations, in view of
the donation it is now openly accept
ing from them. The Mckinley excur-
sion train will cost not cent less than
500, 0OO-probably considerably more
and it is being accepted as gift by
Mr.. Mckinley and his fellow travellers
Yet, officers in the Philippines are be-
ing tried by conrt-martial for exacting
brides of few thousand dollars from
army contractors. There is not even
a pretense that any person in the Nc
kinley train is paying cent for the
trip. The Pullman monopoly fur
nishes 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 no.
tells. No man OF ordinary intelligence
believes that corporations give away
money without exacting its return in
favors of some SOFT. Mr.. Mckinley
knew that when he accepted this do
nation that he incurred an obligation
to the donors which would sooner or
later have to be met, and the intelli-
| nf -
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 part of the
United States-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 be to make an
extra session of Congress necessary
1t is thought that this is fully known
to the administration, as Solicitor
General Richards, who knew the rule
OF the United States Supreme Court
that only citizens of the United States
can become members of its bar, made
the motion to admit FREDERICK Dege-
tau, resident Porto Rican Commits.
sioner, to practice before that court.
The motion was granted. Previously
the president of the Civil Service Com
mission had decided that citizens of
Porto Rico were citizens of the United
States.
Mr.. Montague White, Boer agent in
the United States, has been in WASH
ington for some days. While he does
not publicly admit that his object was
to sound the administration to ascer-
tain how it would receive President
Kruger, if he paid the United States a
visit, there are reasons to believe this
to have been his object. Mr.. White
said that Mr.. Kruger had a strong de-
sire to visit America and intimated
that he might do so next fall. Eng
lish influence is too great with the ad.
ministration 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. L.
GOWN, for the death of her son,
Charles Gown, an American citizen,
who accompanied one OF the fillibus-
ter expeditions on the steamer Three
Friends to Cuba, as correspondent of
Key West paper, was captured and ex-
ecuted by order OF the commander of
a body of Spanish troops, notwith-
standing his American citizenship and
that as newspaper correspondent, he
was non-combatant. She asks $780,
600 damages.
Admiral Dewey occupied the seat OF
honor at dinner given in Washing
ton to celebrate Dewey-Day, and
among the guests were twenty-five Of
ficers who participated in the battle OF
Manila Bay, including Capt. Wildes,
who commanded the Boston, Capt.
Lambertson. of the flagship Olympia,
and Capt. Walker, of the Concord.
The dinner was informal, without set
speeches. the intention being to make
it merely q social jollification.
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 few weeks, to be gone
about four months. The party will
consist of Senators Bacon, of Georgia,
Harris, of Kansas, and Turner, of
Washington, and Representatives
Smith, of Illinois, Gaines, of Tennes-
see, Mercer, of Nebraska, McCleary, OF
Minnesota, Dinsmore. of Arkansas, De
Almond, Of Missouri, and Burleson, OF
Texas.
The members of the River and
Harbor Committee Of the last House
and their wives are going to initiate
the Mckinley excursion in a small
way by making a iunket to the Pacific
Coast, via the gulf ports of Texas, and
as they announce that their party is
not to cost the government anything,
the bills are probably to be footed by
the same parties-the obliging rail
roads. The alleged object of this jun
Ket ls TO inspect ports. That is a
good scheme, too, as it induces boards
OF trade and other commercial bodies
OF towns having harbors in need OF
improvement to stir themselves in
properly entertaining the inspectors
and their wives, thus making sure
that the junketers will not have to
spend their own money. 1t is not
within the bounds OF probability that
any one OF these junketers will &C
quire any information about the har-
bors that he personally inspects-
from the deck of a steamboat or the
window Of a hotel-that could not
have been acquired just as we'll, and
from the same parties, in the commit
tee room at Washington, but "per-
sonal inspection" furnishes the ex-
cuse for the junket.