The herald., 1897-05-23
A THRILLER

If Mr.. Alger is not dishonest, he lack
mental stature for the high place hi
holds. His report to congress in regard
to the San Pedro harbor shows him to be
technical, captious and dull which are
qualities inseparable from diminutive-
ness or dishonesty of mind. If he can
not or will not understand what is re-
quired by law, he should be displaced
by some one who can and will A law
appropriating money for certain OBJ
ject is more than permissive, it is i'm
perative; and an officer is guilty of the
greatest misconduct who refuses or
fails to execute it.
Whether there is money enough to do
the work which congress had laid out, is
not a question for Mr.. Alger to decide;
his duty is to go ahead and if the money
falls short it then becomes proper for
him to report the fact to congress that
further action may be taken. The ap-
preparation of $2,9OO,O0O for San Pedro
was made upon estimates embodying
the best information that congress then
possessed. It is clear that the intention
of congress was to have harbor of ref
uge and for commerce constructed at
San Pedro, and if there was mistake
in the estimated cost it is not to be pre-
sumed that it was intended that the
enterprise should be abandoned because
1t turns out that the work would cost
more than the sum named; on the con-
stood and intended that the deficiency
should be supplied by further appropri-
ations. Congress can never know eX-
actly how much contemplated public
improvement will cost, and the fixing Of
a definite sum is no evidence of an inten-
tion to abandon the project if it turns
out that the cost will really exceed that
sum. Cases run into the hundreds where
congress has put an express limitation
in the original appropriation and has
afterwards authorized the expenditure
of additional sums in order to make the
improvement complete. 1t is a we'll
known rule that congress cannot bind
or limit the actions of its successors.
Who is to determine whether Mr.. AL
those made prior to the passage of the
law? This conduct of the secretary of
war is indefensible by any intelligible
principle or known precedent
&c ba+
accord with presidential views, the idea
being to retrench expenditures. In this
matter the president has no more discre-
tion than the secretary of war. 1t is not
for the executive department to say for
what purpose, when or how much of
the public money shall be expended The
designating and appropriating power
belongs to congress and when it has is
sued a command its command must be
obeyed by the president and his officers
In this matter Mr.. Alger is not merely
trifling with the city of Los Angeles, or
with all Southern California, but with
the interests of one-half the nation. A
harbor at San Pedro would benefit the
Gulf states, the lower half of the great
Mississippi valley, indeed the vast Sec
ton south of the seth parallel of lati-
tude, Chicago and all the cities on the
Gulf and Atlantic coast. From San Pc
dro to Galveston or to New Orleans is
the shortest rail line between the Pa
cific and eastern seas, ard it will con-
tinue to be the cheapest route to all ports
on the Atlantic coast until the Nicarau-
qua canal is constructed.
The president cannot be ignorant CT
this Mr. Alger may be, but it is more
probable that he is controlled by sinis-
ter influences.