Senator Bnrrows says the state can't aff...

Senator Burrows says the state can't afford to dispense with the services of Senator McMillan at this time. The Columbian orator means that he cannot afford to dispense with McMillan's [unintelligible].

The Michigan delegation in congress finds itself just now in possession of a little influence. The members have votes and the various candidates for the speakership are paying them court. Through this chance they may receive some good committee appointments.

When the peace conference at The Hague gets fully organized and down to routine, it will be time for some of the representatives then to waylay the Chinese representative and make him give up a chunk of Chinese territory before being allowed to participate farther in the proceedings.

Every indication points to early peace in the Philippines. Late news from there says a commission is already on the way to offer unconditional surrender. It must be apparent to the Filipino leaders that there can be no possible gain to them in continuing the the war. Their armies are easily defeated in every engagement. What remains of their organized forces are practically surrounded and must either surrender or take to the mountains and cease organized resistance. It would seem that an early peace must be the outcome of such conditions.

The principal cause of the dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela over the boundry was the discovery of gold in the territory which England claimed. After this discovery, she extended her claims far beyond any previous contention and refused to listen to any appeal for a compromise until Cleveland's message of 1895. This amounted to a threat of war and it is surprising that Great Britain took it in the spirit she did. But it accomplished its purpose and led Great Britain to consent to do what she should have done a generation before, submit the dispute to arbitration.

Mayor Van Wyck testified before the Mazet committee that the republicans whom he appointed to positions in Greater New York were appointed a the suggestion of Platt. He made these appointments, he said, at the wish of Platt because Platt, being the boss of the republican party, had earned the right to make the demand. Such is bossism. At the time of the campaign, it was freely asserted and generally believed that Gen. Tracey the Platt candidate was only a dummy put up to defeat Low and insure the election of Van Wyck. The admissions of Van Wyck practically confirm the deal between Croker and Platt whereby the election of Van Wyck was made certain for a division of the spoils.

One of the greatest and most interesting contests in history is about to begin at Paris. This is the arbitration of the disputed boundary between British Guiana and Venezuela. The tribunal which will sit as a high court of justice to arbitrate the differences between the two nations is composed of Chief Justice Fuller and Justice Brewer of the United States supreme court, representing Venezuela, the lord chief justice of England and Justice Collins representing Great Britain and Prof. Martens of St. Petersburg selected by the other arbitrators. Ex-President Harrison sailed for Paris on Wednesday where he is to act as leading counsel for Venezuela. The ability represented upon the board of arbitrators and by the counsel, is of the highest order. The land in dispute and the whole history of the case combine to make a most important mile stone in the onward march of the principle of arbitration. For 50 years England had kept the question a brewing and declined to listen to any settlement except on her terms. To President Cleveland belongs the honor of finally bringing her to book in the matter through his famous message which startled the world. The spectacle of this great legal contest, substituting arbitration for the usual appeal to force, ought to be an inspiration to the peace conference sitting at the Hague.

Aguinaldo ought to be convinced by this time that Gen. Otis does not deal in armistices.

The peace conference it the Hague does not meet under the most favorable auspices. While Russia is the prime mover in the matter, her treatment of Finland and her continued aggressions in China indicate her faith is still pinned to the principle ot the "right of might " Germany is seizing another chunk of Chinese territory and England is said to be preparing to gobble the Transvaal and even Uncle Sam has some little unpleasantnesses in different quarters of the earth.

The leading newspapers of Germany are saying that the Monroe doctrine no longer obtains in the affairs of the United States since our acquisition of the Philippines. They therefore advise Germany to inaugurate now colonial schemes in South America. They assert that Germany is now strong enough to acquire sovereign rights in South America and she should proceed to do it. But they make a grave mistake in supposing that the Monroe doctrine is dead. It was never less a corpse than today. Germany could very readily find this out by proceeding to do what these newspapers advise.

Gov. Roosevelt is expected to call a special session of the New York legislature to amend and improve the Franchise Tax bill which recently passed at the regular session. Boss Platt is alleged to have told the governor it was a proper bill for his veto and that it should not become law. Teddy showed his teeth, as is his wont, and then his courage by his determination to call a special session to improve the bill. It will require much courage to do this because it will displease the very powerful element upon whom this new burden of taxation is laid, an element which is generally powerful enough to avoid all taxation on such property.

What Cuba needs more than anything else just now is workers. If the Cuban soldiers could be transformed into workers, as is done in the United States, the Cuban problem would soon be settled. The leaders are probably the greatest hindrance to this. Having tasted the sweets of authority, they apparently contemplate the return to prosaic pursuits of private life with anything but satisfaction. They seem to think the laying down of arms will lose to them utterly an authority which they already feel is slipping from them. They have little appreciation of real republican government. Their conception of it is that which prevails generally in the Spanish American republics, that power having been once acquired shall be maintained by any means possible as long as possible.

Gen. Brookes seems to be in a fair way after all to settle the question of surrendering the old guns held by the Cuban soldiers without doing violence to any sentiment they may hold on the subject. The Cuban military assemble before it disbanded voted that the arms be surrendered to the mayors of Cuban towns. This the Cuban officer are willing should be done. Now these officials are appointees of Brookes and are Spaniards and friendly Cubans. It would appear, therefore that the arms will be safe in their hands and will not find their way back into the hands of the soldiers again h might desire to turn banditti. Brookes plan contemplates the presentation of the soldiers identification papers to the mayor of the nearest town along with his gun. The mayor will then give him a certificate upon which the presentation of which to the United States paymaster he will receive hi portion of the $3.000,000 fund. Why is not this a satisfactory solution of the problem?

Rayman Reyes Lala, a Filipino by birth, but a long time resident of the United States and an American citizen has an interesting article in the New York "Independent" on the conditions in the Philippines. He says that to the casual observer it might seem that nothing is now left the rebels but to surrender, but nevertheless, Aguinaldo has not yet played his last card. He thinks the Filipino leader has arranged to hold out as long as possible, by retreating to the swamps and mountains, if need be, with the expectation that in time some foreign assistance may come to him or that there may be large accessions to his forces at home. His idea is that the Americans should continue as they have begun and rush the rebels at the earliest possible moment. He says it is the belief of he best element of his countrymen that he Filipinos are not yet able to govern themselves, but are capable of self government under American supervision. He says the Filipinos are easy to govern, if they are dealt with gently and firmly and their confidence secured. He declares that the great body of the people have never been in sympathy with the so-called government of Aguinaldo and they are weary alike of foreign oppression and domestic tyranny and are eagerly awaiting American rule. He believes the United States will give the Filipinos an able and beneficent government.