Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1899 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

. (From our regular correspondent.) In refusing without giving any reason why, to summons six particular witnesses, named by General -Miles, the Military Board of Inquiry did a very wise thing. • * * Not satisfied with trying to deprive him, of honors rightfully belonging to him, the Navy Department has ignored the request of Rear Admiral Schley (he has at least got his commission as RearAdmiral) for sea duty, and practically placed him on the shelf for the time being, by making him a member of the Naval Examining Board in Washington, while Sampson, the man he ranks, is in command of a fine squadron. • • . And the fighting still goes on in the Philippines. Our troops whip the Filipnos and take a town every day or two, but as soon as they leave the town (it would require 100,000 men on the island of Luzon alone, to permanently garrison all the towns) the Filipinos occupy it again. And this sort of thing is likely to go on indefinitely. It is not surprising that men are beginning to ask each other how long the people of this country will be willing to put up with this sort of thing. The question is pertinent. * A * A midnight conference was held to consider the specter of Sam Jonesism, which is badly frightening Ohio republicans. The conference was participated in by Boss Hanna, Mr. McKinley, and several other republicans of prominence who came from Ohio to Washington for the purpose. They believe that Sain Jones intends to run as an independent candidate for Governor of Ohio, and that he stands a good chance of getting enough votes to throw the state to the democrats, if he doesn’t get elected himself. They realize that the loss of Mr. McKinley’s own state this year, would start a boom for “Teddy” Roosevelt that might knock Mr. McKinley out of a renomination next year. They don’t know just what to do about it. A proposition was made that Sam Jones be given the regular nomination for governor, but it did not find much favor, because it was stated that he could not be controlled by the machine. It was also proposed that an attempt be made to ascertain whether Sam Jones could be bought off with a big appointment in the diplomatic service. All agreed that something had to be done to head off Sam Jonesism in Ohio, and all promised to put their wits to work. ♦ * * Secretary Alger had hardly got settled again in his chair at the War Department, before he made public a new defiance of those republicans who have been trying to persuade Mr. McKinley of the wisdom of throwing Alger overboard, regardless of what lie might tell of the campaign of ’96. This challenge of Alger indicates his belief that his hold on Mr. McKinley is strong enough to keep him in the Cabinet, no matter what happens. He said: “Since I entered the cabinet, I have not considered resigning; the matter has never been mentioned to me by the President, and I have no intention of resigning. If the purpose of the constant reports that I will leave the Cabinet is to tire out the President and myself, those responsible for them are very much mistaken—they don’t know their men.” It is an open secret that many prominent republicans are working to force Alger out of the Cabinet. They are willing to drop him easy by letting him take the Ambassadorship to France, or any other diplomatic position, under this government, but they insist that he shall be asked to resign if he will not do so. It was in connection with this scheme that Whitelaw Reid’s paper printed a savage attack on Alger and Algerism, a few days ago. Reed’s relations with Mr. McKinley are so close (he would have been in the Cabinet but for Boss Platt’s protests) that it is certain he never would have printed that attack without Mr. McKinley’s knowledge. The warmer this fight grows, the better democrats will be pleased, because they know it is bound to make a heap of trouble for republicans next year. • ■ • ■ Wherever a few long headed republicans gather just now, the subject of how the party can get the idea that it is too favorable to trusts out of the heads of the voters, is apt to come up for discussion. At a gathering of several republican Senators, in Washington, this week, one of them said: “I must confess that I do not consider the political outlook over bright for the republican

party. The spring elections were not encouraging. The Toledo election I regard as most significant. Sam Jones, the Independent candidate for Mayor, got almost as many votes as his republican and democratic opponents combined. What does it mean? I believe it is a condemnation of trusts and monopolies. The republican party is in a very perilous position. It has apparently been captured by the trust barons and monopolists. Unless we can shake them off, I believe it will be next to impossible to elect McKinley, or any other one on the republican Presidential ticket next year.” Another republican senator present said: “The sentiment against trusts is certainly very strong throughout the West,.and I agree with you that we must do something radical in order to disabuse the impression in the public mind that the republican party is a party of trusts, It will not be an easy thing to do, however. Even if we put in a strong antitrust plank in our platform next year, the fact that the campaign will be in the hands of Mark Hanna and other trust magnates, will render our declaration against trusts almost farcial.”