The times., 1898-10-03
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3. 1898.
VIII They Let MiIes speak.


While justice and patriotism demand
that there should be nothing like hesi-
tation in any honest effort to unearth
the public crimes of which somebody
notoriously is guilty in the War De
partment, it is still possible to feel a
human sympathy for individual officials
who. as yet, have not been legally
proven guilty. We can even think,
with pity and a tear, Of the anguish
which the terrible scandal Of Algerism
has brought upon an Administration
whose skirts We're not previously clean
enough 10 carry any more contagion
without the certainty of starting a
national epidemic of disgust and rage.
On this account, while We must rep
rehend the tendency Of the Aiger Relief
Commissions course TO muZzle, until
after the November elections, the hy-
dra-headed terror that would break
loose and voice the Administration
shame. we are bound to look at the
matter from the standpoint of the
criminals and their protectors So
viewing the situation, there is nothing
for one 10 do but cross himself and
pray that under like temptation, he
might be less guilty.
Thus il will be observed we are in
position to consider the screaming
farce of the Alger Relief Commission,
dispassionately and with a tolerant
feeling for people who are in an awful
ly tight hole, and being squeezed like
any profane thiSg one chooses to
think of.
If it were not for General Miles. and
perhaps one or two others, arrange
nents already made might perhaps
make things fairly comfortable until
after the Congressional campaign. A
short time ago matters looked pretty
black, since it was expected that the
Roosevelt report, on file in the War
Department. might be forced TO the
front by the Rough Rider himself, who
came home from Cuba with more blood
in his eye than he spilled on the hill
of San Juan, and that was said to be
a whole barrel. But Teddy the Terror
is neither mad nor bad any more
Temporizing Thomas. the boss of New
York, has come to the rescue. and the
broncho no longer bucks. His produc-
tive mouth is quite full of the bit of
nomination for the goyernorship. 1t
may be that the bit referred to may be
attacked to strings in the hands of his
new master, and that the latter intends
20 throw him on general principles
when the time comes. But. for the pres
ent and that is the principal thing with
the Administration. Theodore is
gagged and chained to the safety
valve of the Republican machine. And
it is all very clever on the part of
Plat and the empress dowager, Han
ma. as far as it goes.
Another little scheme of cognate char
acter and even greater diplomacy would
be a winning card, il there were time
TO work il in before the eighth of next
month. Even as it is, il may be utiI-
ized for ulterior purposes. The plan to
which we refer is the one to send Nc
MILAN. that fine rough Michigan saw
log. to the Court of St James; Potato
Pingree meantime agreeing to appoint
Alger TO the vacancy in the Senate.
The Administration admires itself
greatly for its ability to conceive this
bit of friendly finesse. With Alger once
in the Senate, the theory is that the
Alger Relief Commission would have
easy sailing. Senatorial courtesy would
compel acceptance of as many buckets
OF whitewash as might be offered, and
that same senatorial courtesy would
stand like lion in the path of any
further unpleasantness, like congress
sional investigation or impeachment
proceedings.
But there are gaps in the War De-
partment fence and defense In this
connection We do not speak of the De-
partment itself as fence" although
we fear that the designation might fit.
~ the facts concerning a few hundred