The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-04-17
FROM THE NATIONS CAPITAL.
From Our O,cn Correspondent.


WASHINGTON, d. c., April Is. 1901.
When Senator Hoar introduced, and
Congress- adopted, q pr0viso to tbs
philippine amendment to the army ap-
preparation bill, declaring that no fran
chises were to be granted and no tim
ber disposed of in the islands it thought
that it was really prohibiting the dis
position os this timber, just rs once
before 1t had thought that it was pro-
hibitiDg the army canteen. On the
former occasion, however, Attorney
General Griggs, by method Of rea-
eoning of fearful and wonderful COM
piexity. decided that it really endorsed
the canteen, aud Secretary Root has
now followed his example by deciding
that instead of prohibiting timber loot
ing Congress really endorsed rules
already in force providing for the dis
position of this timber. MT. Root,
however, has not had the nerve to set
forth the reasoning by which he reach
ed this conclusion, thus saving himself
from the ridicule that overwhelmed
Mr.. Griggs. OF course, the advisa-
bility or inadvisaDility OF the legisla-
tion is not tho question in either case
but merely the matter of obedience to
the plain words of Congress. Now
that this dictum has been promulgated,
an influential Western Congressman,
who was forced to admit on the floor
of the House that he was speculating
in Philippine timber and who had re-
mained in Washington until the order
was made, has set out for the Philip
pines to inspect the enormous public
wealth that has been thrown open to
him aud his friends.
The meat exporters of TIE United
States have recently been thrown into
a panic by the report that Great Bri-
tain has at last joined Germany and
other continental powers in attacks on
American meats They have te]c-
graphed to the various executive de-
partments here imploring them to take
action, in defense. The Immediate
Gaze for panic is found in the decision
of the British Government to exclude
foreign beef from army contracts, OBJ
tanning instead Australian or Canadian
animals. The really surprising thing
is that Britain. should have been pa
tient SO long, the manufacturers of the
United States having been running
along on the assumption that it was
not necessary for them to make any
concessions to foreign powers in ex-
change for the concessions received
from them.
Secretary Hay, it is said, has practi-
cally concluded with Lord Pauncefote
the draft of a new canal treaty, which
will be taken to England by that dip
lomat when he leaves in June to pre-
sent his respects to his now Sovereign.
just what the new treaty provides is
not known, but it is said that the chief
changes arc in the line of definitely
fixing tho means by which the United
States may exercise "the right of talk
ing measures necessary in its own de-
fense," and of inserting clauses by
which the United States specifically
agrees not to assume dominion over
any part Of South or Central America.
The Secretary, it is said, has taken
sufficient note of public opinion to re-
frain from agreeing to trade any moro
Alaskan territory for concessions else
where. This is fortunate, If he hopes
that his treaty will be acceptable to the
Senate and to the country.
Despite the efforts of General Mac
Arthur to minimize and suppress the
news of the defalcations in the Philip
pines, it has transpired that they are
very serious, and! are further, almost
exactly those of which warning was
given by N. f. Guyot, of Colorado,
acting auditor at Manila, later by
quartermastcr's clerk Cole, and still
later by Editor Rice. All these warn
ings, though circumstantial and given
by responsible men, were ignored and
their sponsors punished rs far ) might
be, Editor Rico actually having oeen
expelled from the island in the effort
to suppress his testimony. 1t is, of
course, not surprising that out of thou
sands of men some should be dishonest,
but it is certainly astonishing that the
Administration should seek to punish
the men who discovered it and sustain
those who were guilty of it.
The closing of the army canteens
has had most deplorable effect at
Fort Meyer, just across the riYer from
this city, as it has had at other places.
EccGT6 tho cantecn was established
there were large groups of saloons and
disreputabie houses outside the reser-
vations at the entrances to the arsenal
and Fort Meyer. When tho canteens
were opened and the soldiers had an
attractive place OF resort where they
could obtain pure beer at cost price,
with games, newspapers, magazines,
and other diversions to occupy their
minds when they were OFF duty, the low