The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-08-04
Washington Letter.
From our regular correspondent

AO~>A OO>A~
WASHINGTON, d. G. July 80, 1899
In selecting Hon. zElihu Root, Of
New York, to succeed Gen. Alger,
President Mckinley has added another
to the long list of appointments he
has made that even his opponents can
not criticise. Mr.. Roots reputation
as lawyer stards second to that of
no man in the country. And it was
for that reason he was chosen. The
President wanted the best lawyer he
could find at the head of the war de-
partment, to handle the legal questions
that are constantly arising in connec-
tion with the military government of
our new possessions, and which are
likely to be still more numerous and
more complicated in the near future.
He will get him in Mr.. Root, No
change in the Philippine policy is
foreshadowed by this change. The
organization of the volunteer regi-
ments is being pushed with great
rapidity-already more than four
thousand men have enlisted-and the
ten regiments are expected to be COM
pleted by the middle of August, and
on their way to Manila very soon after
that date, as present plans are to have
them all over there by the close of the
rainy season, so that campaign ag-
gressive enough to crush out the re-
volt before the next rainy season rolls
around can be waged.
The war with Spain abrogated all
treaties with the U. S. and the treaty
OF Peace, which ended the war, does
not deal with commercial matters.
Consequently our trade with Spain is
now more or less handicapped. For
instance, Consul Sprague, at Glbralter,
has just called the attention OF the de-
partment to the existence of diff err
ential duty of two pesetas, fraction
more than 38 cents, between u S. and
British -four entering Spain, in favor
of the latter. When new CONNER
cial treaty is negotiated with Spain,
as one doubtless will be in the near
future, such drawbacks to trade will
be done away with, as President Nc
Kinley will insist that the U. S. be
gwen every commercial advantage
possessed by the "most favored ma
tion."
Corporal Tanner who has been
personally intimate with Secretary
Alger for twenty years, said while dis
cussing his record and resignation;
"Whatever measure of failure could be
charged to him as Secretary of War,
-and, in my opinion it is not by one
thousand degrees as great as many
seem to Thinks justly more charge
able to the system in vogue in the war
department., that of bureaucracy, and
of dividend responsibility, than to
Alger. The historian who sums up
Alger's career dispassionately, with
full knowledge of events, must put
him down as really great man. He
will be shown as a man who fell
victim to the Infamous assaults of
sensationalism. In all the great crises
in the history OF this government,
there has been developed wolfish
side in the nature of the American
people. This quality, when things do
not 60 to suit the crowd, makes them
demand human sacrifice. They
want to rend and tear. / speak with
full knowledge and memory of the days
when portion of the press lampooned
Abraham Lincoln as baboon and q
clown, and derlded Gen. Grant as a
|drunkard and butcher"
Mr.. E. N. Higgins, of Columbus,
Ohio, who is always posted on the
politics of his state, said "This will
be republican year in Ohio.-We will
elect our state ticket by at least fifty
thousand plurality. The democrats
haven't ghost of chance, even if
they were not split into factions. No
man the democrats can put up will be
able to defeat Judge Nash. He is not
only strong in his own right, but the
popularity OF President McK Kinley will
bring out very full vote in the COM
ing election. Our people are enjoying
q satisfactory measure of prosperity,
and that makes the average republican
very we'll pleased to continue to cast
bis ballot for the party Of his choice.