Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-06-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From orlr Regular Correspondant. !

WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom orlr Regular Correspondent
Washington, June 23.-On the adj
ice of Senator Hanna, who is too
stute apolitician not to appreciate the
'aneful effect on bis party of the con
inued suppression of facts and figures
~ the War Department, Secretary
Root has made public the cost of the
Philippine war up to the first of May. |
By the most conservative methods of
figuring which the Secretary could
the total now aggregates
BIC, 1896 .5s6. These figures. large as
they are, do not however. tell the whole
story. Mr.. Root, of course, makes no
mention, of the 800 200, 900 originally
paid to Spain nor has be any way Of
figuring that portion Of the cost which
has been incurred by the Navy Depart
ment and which is not small. Last
May, however, the Secretary Of the
Navy threw some light ON the situa.
ton by sending to Congress state
ment the total of which aggregated,
in round numbers, $2O, 200. 900. 1t may,
therefore, be safely stated that the
Philippine Islands have cost this coun-
try, up-to.date, 1910, 100000 which
would mean, exclusive of the purchase
price, an annual expenditure of $780,
900, 900. So stupendous are these figures
that they convey|but little to the mind
of the average man, but when it is
calculated that the islands have cost
every man, woman and child in the
United States So, or, to the bread win
er who has five mouths to feed, $15,
some conception of the expense of be-
ing "world power" can be arrived
at.
1t is quite part of the irony of fate
that the republican party, which in
dulged in so much gratuitous levity at
the lack of harmony in the democratic
ranks, at the beginning of the Fifty
seventh Congress. should find itself, at
the close of the first session of that
Congress more hopelessly divided than
were ever the democrats. The mes.
sage of President Roosevelt urging the
republican senators to get together
on his policy of Cuban reciprocity ac-
complished nothing and the two con-
ferences which have followed have
served no purpose but to more clearly
demonstrate to the country the hope
less division of the party. 1t is worthy
to remark that at neither meeting OF
the senators was there any suggestion
of promoting harmony by the sacrifice
of the trusts and the natural result
was a deadlock between the adherents
of the Sugar Trust and the Beet Sugar
Trust, respectively, from which. in
the words of Senator Hanna, ''OuI
party will suffer at the polls In the
coming election While, at the
eleventh hour, Mr.. Hanna came to the
rescue of the policy Of the administra.
ton, it has for some time been an oper
secret at. the Capitol that, had the
Senator from Ohio thrown his influ
ence, as chairman of the National Com
mittee, into the balauce and worked
for reciprocity instead Of INDUCING ir
much quiet enjoyment at the discom
future of the President, the result would
have been different. As it is all hopt
of any action looking to the relief Of
Cuba at the present session has beer
abandoned.
On Thursday the Senate adopted the
Spooner substitute for the nicaragua
Canal bill and, If the Panama Cana,
Company have been correct in theil
representations Of their ability to fur
nish clear title to their property. and
If the Colombian government has been
sincere in it's promises to make the
necessary concessions to the United
States, the Isthmian canal will be built
along the Panama. Colon route. In
view of the extravaganza raid on the
treasury which has been perpetrated
by the present Congress, Senator Fair.
banks found it necessary to attach to
the bill an amendment whereby the
government is authorized to issue in
terest bearing, gold bonds to thelamount
of $3.50, 900, 900 to defray the expense of
the construction of the canal. The
canal bill as passed is now in the hands
of the conferees of the Senate and the
House but it is expected that the House
will finally agree to the Spooner sub
stitute.
The Senate has passed upon all the
appropriation bills with the exception
of the General Deficiency bill and the
only measure of Importance which is
likely to receive consideration by that
body during the remaining hours of
the session is the Omnibus Territorial
bill which the representatives of the
territories still believe to have fight
ing chance, as Senator Bate will make
IN effort to secure consideration of the
dill during the coming week. That he
IAN succeed, do not feel as confident
Is do Messrs. Rodney, Flynn and
smith, the territorial delegates. A
tory, which is interesting, if true, is
at the Capitol. 1t is to the
fleet that Delegate Flynn was ap-l
by Senator Beverage, chair
nan of the Committee on Territories,
With proposition to change the name
# Oklahoma to "Beveridge' and that
lr. Flynn's refusal to do so resulted in
he defeat of the measure in Mr.. Beve-