The herald., 1898-09-09
CHANGE OF HEART

EXECUTIVE CHANGE OF HEART
In order to clearly understand the
presidents sudden change Of attitude
relative to Secretary Alger 1t is neces-
sary to go down to the root Of the matter
At the root we shall find the familiar
figure Of Hon. Marcus A. Hanna, head
Of a vast coal and transportation monop-
oily, more widely known as United
States senator for Ohio, and specially as
communicator-in-c chief with the audi
tory nerve of the president Of the
United States.
| During the closing days Of August, 1t
will be remembered, there were frequent
intimations that the president would or
der an investigation Of the war de-
partment. In fact 1t was quite specific
ally stated at one time that mixed
commission would be appointed to probe
the whole military management to the
bottom. Administration newspapers
were so confident of their ground that
they Joined Justify in the popular chorus.
Whatever appeared in the way of an
outgiving by the president, strengthened
and confirmed the impression that the
war department was to be hauled over
the Goals vigorously and Immediately.
On September 1st a traveller from the
wilds Of Yellowstone Park and the great
and growing northwest, arrived in the
city of Cleveland. He had been absent on
an outing of more than a month, and he
had been reading current news as he
journeyed eastward in lands where daily
newspapers are published. Presumably
he had done a great deal of thinking.
This person was the Hon. Marcus A.
Hanna.
When the ubiquitous reporter pounced
upon Senator Hanna, directly after ar
rival, the former must have been sur
prised at the extreme communicative
ness of the interviewee. Mr.. Hanna has
a reputation for reticence, and the mani
fest preparedness of his statement no
doubt astonished the scribe.
At the outset Of the interview Mr..
Hanna remarked that he did not care
to place the blame for the conditions on
any one" He Immediately contradicted
himself in part, however, by casting
blame on the state governors. "The gov
ernors of the different states" he said.
"appointed the volunteer officers, and
we find that the illness among the troops
comes from the volunteer ranks.
Here is the language with which he
silenced the promptings Of the presidents
heart, and announced substantially that
the administration would ignore the de-
mand of the nation, and would stand
by a cabinet officer already buried up to
the eyes with the reproach and infamy
heaped upon him:
Look at the task which has been per-
formed by the administration. AT the
outbreak of the war there was provis-
ion for but 125, 900 men. l am acquainted
personally with the heads of the war
department, and I am positive that they
worked from sixteen to eighteen hours
each day to equip and arm this great
army of between 275,000 and 100000 men.
The whole affair seems marvellous to
me, and could not have been accom-
plished by any other nation in the world.
The war department had a most stu
pendous task before it, and it was equal
to the emergency.
With the appearance Of that interview
the Intimations of executive action rela-
tive to the war department suddenly
ceased. After very brief interval we
now have evidence Of a sudden change
of heart on the part of President McKin-
ley. It is surprising, however, that with
the political sagacity attributed to him
Senator Hanna did not recognize the
importance of making the presidents
transition less abrupt. 1t would seem
that he might have toned it so as to
less violently affect the public pulse