The Irish standard., 1898-10-22
CAREER OF GEN. RUSSELL A. ALGER,
SECRETARY OF WAR.
INTERESTING SKETCH OF A MlCHIGANDER
CONTRIBUTED DY CHAMP CLARK,
THE MISSOURI ORATOR..
HAS Been BOOSTED up WITH DOODLE
NEAR TO BUYING THE NOMINATION
FOR THE PRESIDENCY.

Gen. Russell A. Alger, secretary of
about to come to conclusion of shame.
He is probably now in frame of mind
to understand the force of the old COUP
let:
If So soon am done for,
What the deuce was I begun for?
The chances are that John Sherman
in his enforced retirement is not weep
ing copious tears over the discontinue
Of the man who, as he solemnly charges
in his book, bought his Southern dele
gates away from him in Chicago. If
the spirits of departed warriors take
any cognizance of the affairs of this
lower world, the souls of George A. Gus
ter, who died a hero's death on the
Little Big Horn, and Of Phil. Sheridan,
the Marshal Ney of the Union armies,
must be in state of perpetual delight
as they think of the plight of the man
whom they recommended for dismissal
from the army in disgrace for quitting
his regiment in front Of the enemy. Had
Russell A. Alger been a private soldier
instead of a colonel in 1864 he would
have been court martialed and shot as
deserter, but now, by reason of long
purse, he is secretary Of war, says Champ
Clark in the st. Cloud Times.
What lucky thing for the name and
fame of this magnificent republic that
this man did not succeed in buying the
presidential nomination, which that
year was equivalent to an election.
Let it never be forgotten that the war
on Alger is not Democratic war. It is
a war for humanity, whatever the Amer
ican-Spanish war may have been, and is
led by such lifelong Republicans as John
Sherman, Theodore Roosevelt and Nell
son A. Miles. OF course Democrats
unanimously demand an investigation
that will observation-disclosures Democrats
love truth and justice. They are de-
termined that the men who starved our
soldiers shall be brought to condign pun
ishment. They are determined to have
the facts. Wiitewashing committees will
do no good, for congress will meet in
December, and congress before now has
found ways Of investigating men in high
places.
If President Mckinley will honestly
and courageously throw Russell A. AL
ger and his boodiers, joDDers and in-
competents to the lions, all will be WELL
but every man in this world has his
bad angel-his evil genius, and Mark
Hanna plays this role for his chief
!, Mark recently announced that Alger
should not be made scapcgoat, but
that President Mckinley would assume
the responsibility and the blame. If
Marcus will place his large and con-
spicuous attricular appendage TO the
ground, he will discover that the NUT
terings of the people-the plain peo-
Pile, as Abraham Lincoln loved to call
them-the common people as Bryan ar-
fectionately names them-are growing
into a veritable roar Of rage and execra-
tion against those bungling criminal
officials Of the war department who are
responsible for the sickness, suffering
and death of so many of our soldiers. If
the president, under Marks advice, as
sumes the responsibility, so be it.
The plain people of the United States
love the private soldiers because their
sons compose the rank and file of the
army. The names of the privatcs may
not and do not figure in the dispatches,
but they all have kindred and friends
in their humble homes all over the land
and these will demand the summary
punishment of those who nave abused
| the generosity of congress and the lib
| erality of the American people.
Men who have brains in their heads
from sea to sea, without regard to party
| affiliations, are beginning to inquire and
| to inquire with an emphasis that can
not-be disregarded, why Nelson A. Miles,
a veteran and distinguished soldier, and
General Merritt, one of the most famous
young division commanders of the civil
war, were kept in the background while
| Shafter a man of whom nobody cvel
heard, was given not only the post OF
honor but a position where he had the
lives and well being of thousands of
brave men in his keeping.
They can make as much fun as they
please Of Miles gorgeous uniforms and
his porcelain bathtub, but they cant
| conceal the fact that as a mere boy
without military training or family in
fluence, in four years he fought his way
to the double stars of major general
during the civil war, which fact demon.
strates that he is natural born soldier
| In addition to that he proved by Ions
and brilliant service on the plains that
he is one of the most successful Indiar
fighters Of the age.
With this splendid military record, why
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