The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-11-09

b little more circumspect. The news
papers are filled with this scandal OF the
war department. Half has not been told.
Alger's weakness and his not too fine
moral sense is responsible for death and
starvation. robbery Of soldiers and the
disgrace to the American army estab-
lishment. President Mckinley, in his
weakness, is responsible for Alger. The
Republican party is responsible for Nc
Kinley. The path of the people of the
United States is pointed out. They can
take it or go some other way, as they
please.
I spoke last month of the jobberies
connected with the railway transporta-
ton. Here is an instance of the pc
culiar manner in which Secretary Alger
has discharged the duties of his trust.
I have the story on the authority of
Congressman Albert NJ Todd, of Kala-
mazoO, Mich, who introduced a resOlu-
tion of inquiry on the subject, which the
committee on military affairs suppressed.
According to the story told by Todd,
when Michigan raised it's quota of troops,
that spectacular political economist,
Gov. Pingree, entered into contract with
certain railway corporations to carry the
troops to the seaboard. His contract was
something like STA per capita, and he
so informed the war Office. At once he re-
ceived notification not to conclude terms
with the Western railway company, as
the war department had already ar
ranged for transporting the volunteers.
When the bill was audited it was found
that Gen. Alger's underlings had con-
tracted at the rate of $12.40 per capita
for transportation.
Right in this business of transporting
troops enthusiastically brazen move
was made. President Frank Thomas, of
the Pennsylvania road, of all men in the
world, was called to Washington to take
generals commission and assume charge
OF the transportation arrangements.
OF course, a railroad man was necessary
to the position, but hardly the president
of one of the greatest railroad corpora
lions in the world, and the one which, of
all others, could reap the widest benefits
from the movement Of troops. Camps
were established and contracts made in
the interests of the Pennsylvania railway
company and its connecting lines The
president of the Pennsylvania railway,
Mr.. Thomas, contracted with Quarter
master General Thomas for the trans
portation Of troops-the one man in both
capacities-and, after making contracts
with himself, approved his own bills,
which the government, with more con-
fidence than good sense, paid. Millions
of dollars have been given to the rail-
roads for transporting troops, horses,
artillery, baggage, camp equipage, ra-
lions and army supplies of every descrip-
ton. The railways, however, have not
been equally benefited owing to the rea-
son displayed above, and the transporta-
ton end of the war will be gone into
deeply.
Secretary Alger furnishes few spots
of sunshine in the black affairs Of the
government. A story is going the rounds
now which may interest some of the
Chicago C Western acquaintance of this
cabineteer. Alger had not been in Wash
ington very long when this incident oc-
Cured. He did not like hotel life, and his
family had ambitions which surged be-
yond the confines of Detroit's social lin
it's. So he sought a house. He found
one suited to his domestic purpose, and
also large enough in which to entertain
properly. The house was completely fur
er, who had just been given a commits
sion abroad, had left all his belongings
but his books. The library shelves were
vacant. There was not even a govern
ment report or congressional blue book
to relieve the waste of empty shelves In
the library. Mr.. Alger is not given to
reading, but he knows that books look
well in room, and he desired to fill the
shelves. He had not time to select the
library for himself, and, besides, it was
unnecessary. Mr.. Alger has agents and
factors to do such work for him. He sim
ply wired his agent at Detroit: "Send me
by freight at once $50 lineal feet of books
for library"
At the cabinet meeting that day Gen.
1c0, %o1I h.
ministers how he had solved the vacant
bookshelf problem which had presented
itself. He was somewhat surprised at
the evident hit the story made. The
president and the rest of the cabinet are
still laughing.
We have just sent out over 1000 mod
est intimations that about this time of