The times., 1898-12-30
free trade-yes, and free silver, which is to
be another consequence of expansion.
The AIger Auction.

The Alger Auction.
Our peeuliar relations to the Island of
Cuba. growing out of the war. are Great
ing situation unknown in the history OF
| things with which the American people
are familiar. We have taken over the
country strictly with a view of giving it
stable government. We do not assume
sovereignty but only military control. We
have promised Spain to look carefully af-
ter life and property and, having done SO
| to our own satisfaction, later to advise
the native government to be established to
| indorse our acts and make them its own.
| Nothing could be more proper or virtuous.
In order to secure the foundations of 4
really stable government it is manifestly
| necessary that Cuba should be provided
| with all the modern improvements, such
as railways telegraph lines, telephones,
electric and gas lighting facilities. water
works and street-car service. The Span
iards never supplied these means of grace,
| and the Cubans are too poor and indolent
| to do it now if they had the disposition.
Consequently it is plain that American en-
terprise must be looked to to provide these
crying wants.
Supposing American enterprise to be un-
| trammeled in the premises, it is a splendid
opportunity for people with the brains,
energy and capital required, to go in and
compete for all the good things which
! military occupation puts 1t into the power
of the Government to grant. condition
of open competition without favoritism or
| iobbery would encourage thousands of our
| countrymen to undertake enterprises of
development in the colonies Doubtless
| such condition is what would crafty the
patriotism and exhilarate the conscience
| tablish it.
We are sorry 10 observe that an opinion
is gaining ground which it will pain him
to learn of. 1t is widely asserted that
wen now al the chances for industrial
and public works loot, in the way of con-
cessions in Cuba, have been parceled out
| in advance to a number of syndicates who
will not be troubled with competition in
| obtaining what they want, because the
same has been contracted to them prac
tically by the War Department, through
influences skilled in the selection of mines
railway, telephone, street car, and light
| ing openings, as well as fever camps.
1t is announced that no concessions Of
any description will be given in Cuba with
out the consent and authority of the Secre-
tary of War. Those blessings once OBJ
tanned, there is an understanding that the
benefciaries will thus acquire vested rights
of monopoly in perpetuity. 1t would be
difficult to imagine anything more salts
! factory or profitable to the happy conces-
sionaires, or more remunerative to some
other people.
! 1t is a great thing for man in Mr.. AL
gers position to be able, with a stroke OF
his quill, to make millionaires of his
friends, as he unquestionably will be If
allowed autocratic power over Cuban con-
cessions. 1t is question whether Mr.. Nc
Kinley ought to burden any one man with
such power, responsibility and temptation.
1t becomes more than a question when the
satrap who is to WELD an influence COM
pared with which Aladdin's lamp was a
burned-ou tallow dip happens to be an in
dividual as severely criticised and distrust-
ed by the country at large as Russell A.
Alger.
Even the devil is not as black as he is
painted and we have no wish to add to the
hue and cry against the self-sacrificing
patriot in the War Department. If any
single person is to dispense the millions of
value in concessions to the favored friends
of Senator Hanna and the Administration,
perhaps it might as well be Alger as
another. We have never doubted that his
honesty is equal to his reputation for
bravery; but the point is that the authority
to grant great monopolies in our new pos
sessions without responsibility for the
ident Mckinley should impose upon any
one.