The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-10-27
G R AYES FILLED
Prematurely BY Thousands Of
Our Gallant Boys
WHILE TWICE AS MANY MEN
Are Broken In Health and Are Mere
Physical Shadows.
ADMINISTRATION Is RESPONSIBLE,

Because OF Its Appointments of Dudes
and Inoompetents, Thousands of Gal |
liant Soldiers Were Unnecessarily Sac
rificed - Powerful ArraIgnmept of the ,,
National Administration and Mark Han
ma by Ex-Governor Altgeld - Alger's
Record During and Since the Civil war
Exposed.
Recently Ex-Governor Altgeld deliv-
cred a speech at Chicago in which he
exposed Alger's record, and the record
of the present administration in its
conduct of the war.
Deserts During n Battle.
The ex-governor's speech in part
was as follows:
Now, let us glance for a moment at
a bit of history, During the civil war
formal charges we're filed against Lieu
tenant Russell A. Alger, alleging that
he had absented himself without leave
during battle and praying that he
be court martialed and dismissed from
the army.
These charges were signed, among
others, by General Wesley L. Merritt.
But Mr.. Alger had political influence
and he managed to get permission to
resign from the army instead of being
dismissed in disgrace.
"Mr. Alger went back 70 Michigan
and amassed great fortune, by means
which we will not inquire into, al
though it is said that the stumps on
the government lands could tell strange
tales if summoned before a grand jury.
Several years ago Senator John
Sherman, a great Republican author
ity, wrote book in which he charges
this Mr.. Alger with being a corruption
ist, charges him with the crime Of cor
rupting Republican delegates who had
been chosen to go to national con-
vention.
He thus charges him with being
a man who by corrupt means inter-
| fered with the natural and proper
workings of Republican government,
and doing things which tend to destroy
| Republican institutions.
well, in the spring OF 1896 this Mr..
Alger Joined hands with Marcus Aurel-
ius Hanna of Cleveland, o., who has
impressed himself upon the American
people as being the greatest debaucher
of American manhood and citizenship
and as having done more to undermine
and destroy free institutions in this
country than any other man.
| "Mr. Alger thus assisted in bringing
about the nomination of William Nc
| Kinley. How much money he spent in
doing this and whom he debauched ]
do not know.
"Mr. Sherman is silent on the sub
tect. But after Mr.. Mckinley was in
ausurated, then, to the astonishment
Of the American people, he, as a mat
Ter Of gratitude and favoritism to the
man who had helped him, appointed
this Mr.. Alger to the head of the wal
department-that department in which
were supposed to be on file charges
signed by some OF the most prominent
officers in the army, to the effect that
this Mr.. Alger, although the favorite
OF the president, was not the man tc
handle military affairs.
Dudes and Ineompetents Appointed.
Now, we will go back to the wal
department. AS soon as the war was
declared, that class OF people who haC
opposed 1t to their uttermost rushed
to the front with fierce determination
to get all the money and all the ad
vantage and all the Offices that were
to be had.
"In every war the matter of furnish
ing supplies to an army is of creates
Importance, for upon it depends no
only the comfort, health and the fight
ing qualities, but the lives Of the men
and instead of appointing to places
in the quartermaster's department ant
in the commissary department and il
the medical department experienced
and capable men, the president filleC
these departments with dudes and in
competent sons OF rich or infuentia
fathers.
at was pure question of favoritisn
from beginning to end. The appoint
ment of the secretary Of war had beer
question of favoritlsm, using tn,
great department OF the government
to favor a man to whom he was un
der obligation, and now the welfare O
the army and the interests of tn,
American republic were again lowered
to the plane of favoritism. The grea
Republican journals at that time pub
llshed the Official acts of the govern
ment from day to day. Go and re
read them. They are full of meaning
now.
"The American people rose to th
heights of lofty patriotism. Part.
lines were obliterated; sectional diff
ferences were overlooked.
Divisions Of sentiment that had ex
listed for 100 years all disappeared. Il
one grand offering the nation aros,
and gave its noblest sons to the serv
leo OF the country.
Patriotism of the People.
"They went forth in vigor, with higl
hopes and noble resolve. They showe'
the world how the children OF a re