Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1899-07-03
WASHINGTON LET TER.
spEolAL ooRnHspos d. NOE OF THE NoNrros.
Washington, June 20, 1899

Washington, June 20, 1899.
The political busybodies are all
working over time seeking to array
President Mckinley on one side of
the contest for the Michigan senator
ship, but it is a waste of time and
energy. President Mckinley is no more
likely to take sides in that contest
than is any other citizen of another
state, Senator Mcmillan, who is a
candidate for re- election, is his warm
personal fri end, and SO is Sec. Alger,
who has an nounced his candidacy.
1t is ridiculo US to say, as some are do
ing, that the contest involves the con-
troll of the Michigan delegation to
the Republican National Convention
Tt does n othing of the sort. It has
been stated for months past by every
Michigan republican in congress, and
by Secreta ry Alger, that the Michigan
d delegation to the next National Con-
Vention was bound to be unanimous
for the nomination of President
Nc Kinley, because that is the senti-
ment of the voters. What then could
be President McKinley's object in in
terfering in the senatorial contest?
That contest will be settled by
the republican voters of Michigan.
Whether it will cause the resignation
of Sec. Alger is a question that he
can answer better than anybody else.
1t will not necessarily be So, but he
may con slider it expedient to resign,
to remove any restraint that his can
didacy might have upon the actions
of the president, and also in order
to better look after his own interests.
That President Mckinley would ask
for his resignation because he was
candidate for the senate is improb-
able. There is nothing about a cabi
net portfolio that operates to deprive
its holder of any right possessed by
private citizens. If there were, it
would as difficult for our president to
get cabinet as it is for the President
of France to get one. Sec. Alger is
now in Washington, having just re-
turned from a vacation, but he says
he has nothing TO add to what he has
already said about his candidacy for
the senate.
Gen. Leonard Wood, former COM
mander of the rough riders, and now
Military Governor of Santiago, has
furnished additional proof that he is
an extraordinary man, by declining
on offer of $50, 900 per year to become
president of the big syndicate which
has bought nine of Washington
street railways and its two electric
light companies and is preparing to
put them all under single manage
meDt, although the salary offered was
m ore than five times the amount he
receives as Brigadier General of vol
unteers. Gen. Wood will return to
Cuba at once, because he believes it
is his duty to do so. He speaks Of
his doing so in the most matter of
fact tone. He said: 81 intend to re-
main in the military service of the
government as long as the service
needs me. I feel in honor bound to
return to Santiago, now that the yell
low fever is reported to have broken
OuU 0Ou. WOOQ Has OOuOlS
about the sickness at Santiago being
yellow fever, recalling his experience
there last year with a pernicious ma
larial fever, which caused men to
drop in the streets, and which a num-
Der of experts pronounced yellow
fever. Speaking of the Cuban situa-
ton, he said: sit is an easy matter to
get along with the Cubans. You
couldn't stir up riot in Santiago to-
day, if you tried. Everybody is con-
tented for the first time in years. We
have only to give the Cubans a good
government, so good that they will
be reluctant to do without it, and:that
is an easy matter"
1t is expected that when President
Mckinley returns to Washington, he
will issue orders for the recruiting OF
volunteer force, not necessarily &c
be sent to the Philippines, but to be
organized, drilled, and kept in readi
ness as an emergency force, in case
Gen. Otis should decide at any time
that he needs more men than have