The herald., 1897-11-16
TUESDAY. NOVEMBER l6, 1897.
GEN. ALGER'S MALADY

Yesterdays Washington dispatches
brought the important information that
Gen. Russell A. Alger, Mr.. McKinley's
secretary of war; is i'll. He seems to be
quite i'll, for we are further Informed
that he will not be at his office for several
days The inference is not unfair that
he may not be able TO attend to very
much business before the meeting OF
congress, which takes place in little
more than two weeks.
This illness on the part of the Quintus
Fabius Maximus, the delayer, of the
Republican party may not be providen-
tial as viewed by Col. Robert G. 1nger-
soil, but it is certainly most opportune.
as viewed by Gen. Alger's friend, Uncle
Coils
The Republican administrator has
been in power nearly nine months. When
the president and his secretary, of war
came into office they found an act of COM
gress relating to a deep sea harbur at
San Pedro. One of the first outgivings
Of the sick secretary was that the said
act was TO be a dead letter so far as he
was concerned. He stuck with a good
deal of stubbornness to this decision, and
it took great storm of Indignation on
the part of the people and the press to
cause him to make any change in his
program. Fear of the loss of political
prestige on the part of the Republican
party, through the shoulderng of the
blame on the president, at last forced
a reluctant promise from Mr.. Hunting
tons servant, who sits in Mr.. McKin-
ley's cabinet, that the law would be
obeyed
Would be! But when? From that day
to this the same scheme that has fol-
lowed before has been persisted in, and
that scheme is the CESSATION of delay
upon delay. so that the work shall not be
done
The plans for the harbcr We're made.
Then they had to be held for days, while
Gen Wilson sat and hatched more
chickens of proorastinatlon. Then they
were sent to Gen. Alger, and the sight
of them seems to have made him sick.
His disease is somewhat obstinate and
refuses to cid to treatment. 1t is
feared he will remain sick for many
days. When he returns to his office
much work, no doubt, will have accumu-
lated, so that he will be very busy for
many more days, and the CESSATION of
delay viii still continue.
Now the friends of the administration
may pretend that these differences OF
ours are very far fetched. Not bit Of
it. There is in the hands of Los An
geles business man, whose interest in
the San Pedro harbor is intimate, tel.
egram from his brother at Washington
This message came before Cen Alecr
was afflicted by the maady now troub.
ling him. In most direct and positive
terms it alirms that nothing will be
done in the harbor matter until con-
gress makes q specific appropriation for
the work. This statement is made as
coming from the mouth of the siel. gee
retary himself.
In other words. the whole fight has to
be gone over in congress again. with
Uncle Coils and his lobby there to at
tempt to Illustrate every inch of its
progress.
1t has been stated that the president
gave his word to some one that the work
would be proceeded with. and that no
more delay would be permitted Perhaps
he did: but there seems to be a power
behind the throne. Shall we have t.
lay siege TO the obdurate heart of Mari;
Hanna himself to get our rights in this
matter?
Who is president, anyway? When We
have discovered if it is Ma jor Mckinley
General Alger, Senator Hanna or Lobby
ist Huntington, then we may know
where to begin.
TIE LIGHTING DI|