Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1899 — WASHINGTON LETTER. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON LETTER.

(From our regular correspondent.) Secretary Alger, who has just returned to Washington, is lacking in many of the characteristics that goto make an ideal Secretary of of War, but he attempts to make up for all of them with gall, of which he has about as much as any man who ever held a cabinet portfolio. And his latest is a little beyond all his previous exploits in the gall line. He has actually gone so far as to dictate to Mr. McKinley, if the public talk of his henchmen can be believed. According to the Algerites, Alger is not satisfied with the white-wash-ing given him by the War Commission and the alleged vindication given him by the report of the Military Court of Inquiry, which Mr. McKinley has just approved and ordered published, but demands that Gen. Miles shall lie deposed from the command of the army. In addition to having demanded this of Mr. McKinley, Alfer is said’to have told him that if e did not issue the order transferring Miles from Commander of the army to one of the Military Divisions, he would, as Secretary of War, issue it himself, thus forcing Presidential action one way or the other. It is not surprising that Mr. McKinley should have concluded to go to the Virginia Hot Springs and try to clear out bis .system by a few hot baths. But it is Algerism he will have to clean out to accomplish anything.

Boss Platt’s qjlict has gone forth that New York shall have but one candidate for the Speakership, and that Payne. Ray and possibly other members of the delegation, who have either positively or partially announced themselves asj candidates, will be forced out of the way to give Sherman the unanimous support of the delegation. This, and rumors that Sherman had made a deal with Hanna caused quite a marked boom in Sherman stock, and Sherman is now in favor in sporting circles. Treasury officials have refused to allow an item headed “traveling expenses'’ in the personal accounts of Roger C. Spooner, Special Indian Agent “temporarily” in charge of the Indian ware--house in Chicago, because the aforesaid traveling expenses were incurred by Spooner in going between his home in Wisconsin and his office in Chicago, and are not

considered to have been necessary to the proper performance of his public duties. Spooner is a brother of Senator Spooner and holds his position by a trick. The position of Superintendent of the Indian warehouse is supposed to lie under Civil Service Rules; also to be vacant. Nearly a year ago, Senator Spooner carried an order to Secretary Bliss, from Mr. McKinley telling him to provide a good place for his brother. It was done by appointing him as Special Indian Agent and putting him in temporary charge of the warehouse in Chicago, where he has been ever since, filhng a position that is in the classified service, without ever having even taken an examination. Still, there are some otherwise level-headed men who will get “nutty - ” when the Civil Service Rules are spoken of as the humbug they really are. * * • Mr. McKinley seems to be developing a disposition to play czar. He ordered Representative Henderson, of lowa, chairman of the Republican Caucus Committee that recently completed a financial bill, when he called at the White House with a copy of the bill, to change it before it was submitted to the republicans of the Senate Finance Committee, who it seems must approve it before it is made public. Col. Henderson is a peppery sort of a fellow occasionally, but being a candidate for Speaker of the House, he did not care to quarrel with Mr. McKinley, so he only called his attention to the fact that every clause in the bill had been put there by unanimous vote of the Committee. The order to change it was reiterated by Mr. McKinley. ♦ * • It has been decided by the republican leaders that an extra session of Congress shall be called, probably early in the fall, but in order to give themselves an opportunity to change their minds, should it be deemed advisable later to do so, they will not say more than that an extra session is probable. The fact of the matter is that they are gettting uneasy over the political outlook. A short time ago they were figuring on a walk-over for McKinley next year, but now they are frightened. One of them said: “Mr. McKinley will, of course, be a candidate for renomination, but it is by no means certain that he will win. The scandals under his ndmiwwt

tration have made it difficult for his friends to defend it. Alger, Shafter, Eagan and others, who have figured prominently in the administration, have not added to Mr. McKinley's reputation or improved his chances for renomination. Conservative observers believe that Algerism and Eganism will prove to be a heavier load than Mr. McKinley can carry, and that even if he should be nominated again, he would be defeated." • * • The Philippine situation continues to be a combination of dickering and fighting, although the administration claims that the submission of Aguinaldo is now fully assured, but they do not say when. His subjugation has been a sure thing from the first, but it has already cost more, both in money and blood than it will ever be worth to the people of this country. - I have private funds to loan on real estate at low rates *for any length of time. Funds are always on hands and there is no delay—no examination of land, no sending papers east~-ahsolutely no red tape. Why do you wait on insurance companies for 6 months for your money? I also loan money for short times at current bank rates. Funds always on hand*

W. B. AUSTIN.