Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-07-10
WASHINGTON GOSSIP
A COSBY LETTER REGARDING
LEGISLATION AND OTHER MAT

Gratis food for thought during the cam
paign, if no satisfaction. The admiral
is a democrat, and a number OF his
statements have been quoted from
time to time as favorable to the anti
imperalist cause. His testimony has
effectually disposed of such notions.
His statements are that the Americans
themselves whipped the Spaniards in
the Philippines; that the Filipinos at
the time were a disorganized rabble;
that Aguinaldo was a mere ~adventurer
without NEAR and without influence,
and that the idea of an independent
republic was a later creation of mis-
fertile brain. following his assumption
of the role of dictator, the seizure Of
native property and all the othI ras-
cality and trumpery of which the
Tagalo chieftain was guilty: That
there has been a good deal of disap-
pointment at the small amount of
available democratic campaign ma
terial growing out Of this exhaustive
committee investigation is shown by
the bitter speech of Senator Carmack
during the last hour of congress, in
which he stated that the whole inves-
tigation had been a farce. although
he asserted a minute later that almost
all Of the witnesses t%estifying had
been summoned by the democratic
members of the committee.
With congress adjourned and its
members returning to their constitu-
ents, we will hear yet more explicitly
what has and what has not been ac-
complished by that body during its
session just closed. The republicans
will set forth what has been done, aud
the democrats will show what has not
been done, but what would have been
done if only they had been in power.
On the whole, the session has been a
quite satisfactory from the repub-
lican standpoint. Some important
laws have been enacted, and other
measures have passed n house and
are ready to be taken up Immediately
next winter. The principal bills which
have become laws are the isthmian
canal bill. the Philippines bill. the irri-
cation bill, the oleo bil-all new leg
islation-besides the usual great APP
preparation bills, the reduction of wal
taxes. and minor commendatory meas
ures. Some bills have met a regretta-
BILE defeat, but no congress ever did
everything that was hoped for it. The
showing made by the republicans is
an excellent one.
The war department has ordered
100 bolos as a trial substitute for the
army bayonet. The bolo is a cutlass
something like the Cuban machete,
and is an eminently better weapon
than the bayonet, at least for guerrilla
warfare. For such a purpose the bayo-
net is as poor a means of offense or
defence as the army saber was found
to be in Indian fighting, where TIE
bowie knife was the standard. A bolo
which serves all the purposes Of a
good Ratchet about camp, but in time
of war can be used either as a broad
sword or attached to a rifle as a sharp
edged bayonet, will be an improvement
over the present army weapon. Its
adoption by the government, however.
may be looked upon as the signal for
an anti-imperialistic outbreak against
our evolution into an Oriental military
despotism.
The steel trust has advanced the
wages of its great army of employees
ten per cent, which will add about 81
100000 to its annual payroll. This is
a just but polite move, as it will fore
stall a like demand from the en-
ployees. They have been working full
time at full wages, which were con-
sidered entirely satisfactory two or
three years ago. Since that time, how
ever. the price of living has materially
increased, the steel corporation is
making greater profits, and it is but
fair that the wages should be raised.
It is perfectly natural that when
evidences Of prosperity are all about
with factories busy and orders profit
able, the workman should want an in
crease in his wages-a share Of that
prosperity. One of the most difficult
problems, however, when times be-
come less prosperous or even hard. a
rate of wages has been established I'M
der prosperous conditions which the
workman comes to consider as stand
ard-his worth, his right--and when
it becomes necessary to reduce wages
then come strikes and bitterness and
cries against the extortion OF corpora
! tions. The difference between strikes