Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-19
A WHY MICHIGANDER.

General Russell A. Alger of Michigan has been up to Augusta visiting James G. Blaine, for the purpose, ,as he declares,
 of talking railroad" with him. That he should have come and gone in the still watches of the night, and remained clos eted with his host during the Sabbath
 hours when Christian men turn their thoughts from business and from politics, would seem to furnish reasonable ground for those who are skeptic on the railroad racket. The rumor that he was the bearer
 of an important message from General
 Harrison may lack foundation, but that something other than railroad business
 occupied their time in conference is
 morally certain.
 Alger himself, it is declared, has no
 ambition for cabinet portfolio, and it
 is further asserted that he would posi-
 lively refuse it even if it was rendered to him. It is believed
 that the willy Michigander looks
 beyond the cabinet and that he thinks he
 would just about fill the chair to be
 vacated by Harrison on March 4, 1S93
 General Alger had something of a boom
 in the Chicago convention last June, and
 his experience in that exciting gathering
 taught him some things that may be
 useful in 1892. One thing he learned was the eXhilarating influence of poodle in
 republican national conventions, and the
 possibility of securing any desired nomi-
 nation through the judicious distribu-
 tiol of dust. Alger was handicapped at
 Chicago by the fact that Honest John
 Sherman had got ahead of him in the
 southern republican market, so he got to
 work to buy up the delegates that Sher-
 man had already purchased, a job in which he succeeded to an extent which
 riled Honest John more than anything
 which occurred at the convention. Next
 time Alger will be the first buyer in the } southern market, and he hopes for better
 success since Sherman has declared ha will not again enter the canvass for pres l idential honors. The Michigan man has , few bar'ls still on tap, and he hope . that he may be able to give even liar rison stern chase four years hence.
 fl Whether the willy man from Michigan unfoided his schemes to the magneti, man from Maine during the calm relig
 ious hours of Sunday Is not disclosed il ) the news from Augusta, but probably h didn't, for the Maine man is supposed t. f have an anchor to windward himself fo 9 1892. Blaines political juggernaut Ina . not yet ceased to roll. and MT Alger mus . keep out of it's track as we'll as all tn : other fry large and small in the republi S can gang. If MT Blaine. should accep f the state portfolio, as he certainly will i n it is rendered to him, he will be in e position where even the Michigander l. bursting barls eaa do nothin :, to contract the pet4t up BOW J. CTS of his political ambition f It may be, therefore, that Qeners }. Alger wanted to learE for himsel $ whether there was railroad leadin j. direct from Augusta into the state depar e ment and whether Blaine was likely t l. be the chief engineer of the road. ] n such should be the case it is quite likel 5, that he would be disposed to hoop up h > barls and plug the bungholes air-tigh + during the next presidential canvas }. That Alger dropped around to see fc l, himself just what gauge there was { e the railroad is creditable to his sagacit s as one of the solid boodlers of the vii