Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-04-24
AlcER AND SHERMAN.

ALcER AND SHERMAN.
fhs Ohio Senator'S Bitter Attack On
A1lchi4an's Trust 1lanipulatoe.
It is a little bit remarkable that no
Michigan newspaper has yet taken up
the cudgels in General Alger's behalf
against the attack of Senator Sherman.
The attack was sharp and shrewd.
Coming, as it did, from . party leader
and a rival of Ge<eral Alger in the
race for the Presidential nomination, it
has attracted great deal of attention.
The newspapers of other States have
taken it up and made much Of it But
here, in his own State, where it might
be supposed General Alger would have
warm and earnest friends and defend
ers, if anywhere, not one even Of his
party organs has come to his defense.
Why is this? They must know that
the attack, shrewdly as it was made,
was essentially unjust. Active as
General A1ger was in the organization
of the trust for his connection with
which Sherman 1ambasted him, he had
no such controlling or preponderating
interest or influence in the mat
ter as Sherman assigned him
or artfu11y implied that the Supreme
Court had assigned him. What he did
in the matter was practically the work
of an attorney-or perhaps it would be
more nearly accurate to say that he
was working only indirectly for
his own interest, which was q col
lateral one. His main object, it not his
only one, was to protect himself and
his associate-coneernin whom, by the
way, Sherman had no word to say-as
indorsers Of the real party in interest
When the Endorsements were taken
care of and the General and his associ-
ate remunerated for the risk they had
taken his interest in the great trust
ceased. And while the Supreme Court
did paint, in colors by no means fatter-
ing, his connection with the trust, it is
fair to remember that it did so to show
that he had full knowledge of its char
acter, rather than that he was respon-
sible for its formation. Such response
bl1ity was not necessary to the decision
IF the court. ALI it needed as logical
foundation for its decision was the fact
Of General Alger's knowledge that the
trust was against public policy. It was
,n the basis of that finding that the
court held the contract which was sued
On non-enforceable; and though Senate,
Sherman does not seem to have been
aware of the fact, the decision, severely
as it bore on General Alger. put q large
sum of money in his pocket.
The newspapers of General Alger's
party in Michigan knew all this, it Sher'
man did not. Why, then, have they no,
defended him? Is it because a million
aire candidate for the Presidential nom
nation, like q prophet, has no honor in
his own country? Or is it because
they know that, while Alger is limo
cent in the trust matter-or less guilty
than Sherman implied-he is still very
vulnerable on the monopolistic side:
We are inclined to think the latter is
the true reason. It did not, perhaps
occur to Sherman that his rivals con
nection with the great lumber trust
created by the tariff, was a better
ground for attack than his connection
with the Diamond match trust. Per
haps if it had occurred to him he would
have hesitated to make the attack OF
that ground, through fear of bringing the
entire household of the protected about
his ears. But if the attempt were made
here in Michigan to defend Algel
against Sherman's attack the defense
would be very promptly met with {
reference to the lumber trust.
It is scarcely to be wondered at, there
fore, that the organs do not attempt the
defense. It would avail General Algel
very little with the farmers to have i
shown that he has no real responsibility
for the match trust, which presse!
rather lightly on them, if the showing
were the signal for the additional show
ing that he is very largely responsible
for the tariff tax on lumber, which doe
weigh very heavily on them.
On the whole, the organs have adopted
the more prudent course. They can no
help General Alger out of the hole il
which Senator Sherman put him withou
putting him in worse one.-Detroi
Free Press.