The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-30
CHRISTMAS Ar WASHINGTON.
fBY @. A. EnWARDs.l

washington, December 27--tStaff Spc-
cfai Christmas 10 dull time In the Ma
tionai capital from a newspaper corre-
spondents standpoint. The majority Of
tho mon whose intellectual droppings fur
are mostly at their respective homes get
ting acquainted with their families and enc
joying the holiday season OF rest from al
legged statesmanikc work. There are all
ways few people left, however. who con-
tinually extdc gossip of q nature always
more or less interesting,
The senatorial contest in Montana over
the election OF successor 10 Senator Lee
Mantle is already attracting considerable
attention. The legislature will meet on
January Q. On joint ballot the democrats
have large majority, and the contest be-
tween Marcus Daily, the copper king and
race horse enthusiast. and w. A. Clark,
the millionaire banker and mining man Of
Butte. is ono OF the hardest fought political
battles ever witnessed In the West. Daily
and Clark were formerly THE best OF friends
development, but they quarreled over some
trivial water rights and this extending to
litigation i'm the courts, they became bit
ter enemies.
Six years ago Clark was the democratic
nominee for senator and although the
party was In the majority, DAILY refused
10 allow his personal friends TO voc for
Clark, resulting in a deadlock that was
never broken, although Clark lacked but
one vote. Two years later Clark supported
Helena's candidacy for the State capital.
ship with both funds and speeches, as
against Anaconda, Ddly's home city, and
in whose behalf he made most vigorous
but fruitles effort. The two are both lead.
ers of powerful factions in their party. and
IL is believed either would have the State
so unrepresented in the upper branch OF
congress than the other be elected. and the
predictions are many here that such wiil
be the final ending OF the contest
While each side claims sufficient
strength to elect, 1t is believed Daily has
"a shade the stronger following, but not
enough to land him. Every democratic
politician in the State is either a Clark
or a DAILY man, and for this reason a COM
promise candidate is almost out of the
question, although Governor Smith, Con-
gresham Charlie Hartman and W. G.
Conrad have been mentioned as dark
horses.
when thieves fall out honest men get
their due Alger and Corbin are having
scrap. don't say THAT Alger and Cor
bin are thieves. Oh, no. but they have
been thicker than thieves" during all
thfs war with Spain, and have stood to-
getheu against General Miles and on
nearly every other proposition. 1t is all
over Corbins testimony before the war
investigating commission, which | some
time ago dubbed the Ager relief commits
sion.
1t surprises nobody who has followed tho
events of the war that Secretary Alger
should be resentful of the deliberate and
solemn assertion of Adjutant General Cor
bin that the declaration OF war found the
war department absolutely mprepared
even for the first step; that, believing and
hoping there would be no war until 1t was
actually declared, IL had done nothing in
anticipation OF q call on all Its resources
and energies. Secretary Alger in all his
letters and reports has taken no small
amount of credit TO himself for bhe fore
sight with which every possible consdera-
ton had been given 10 the demands of
war and the vast amount OF work that had
been done in anticipation of the impending
positive declaration OF war.
He recited this as proof that human
wisdom and energy could do no more, and
that whatever defects there were in the
service were unavoidable and could not
be charged to lack OF foresight and zeal.
The president, also, in his message to
congress- implied that. in the fear that
war would come, the war department and
the navy department had been tireless in
planning to put an army INFO the field and
ships on the sea at the earliest moment
possible after war should be fact He
positively stated tina. this declaration
found the government mot unprepared for
war;"
The navy department early demonstrated
Its readiness. Admiral Dewey had been
instructed in advance OF the declaration to
be entirely ready to strike which accounts
for the early destruction Of the Spanish
wa-ships IN Manila bay. There were many
things that could not be done until the
final action OF congress- but the readiness
to do them instantly showed that the
navy department had acted on the belief
that 1t was wise TO be prepared TO begin II
war SHOULD come. This ds the impression
which Secretary Algcs has given as To
The war department also and he has not
been slow or over modest In claiming
credit for 1t.
Yet the adjutant general. In whose o.
flee the first steps must be TAKEN goes be-
fore the Alger relief commission and vol
unteers the statement that all the de-
fects, II there were any. were due entirely
to the fact that the war department had
s,sch strong hope that war would no. come
that ,aothing was done until the declaration