The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-08-25
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c., August 21st.


Mr.. ED1roR:-If the administration
follows lis present method OF showing It's
confidence in General Otis TO its logical
conclusion, there will I've a new commander
in the Philippines before the fighting cam
pa"n opens, 1t began to show its conf
dcncc in General Otis, who had continu-
ally declared that 10000 men were all he
needed, by issuing the necessary orders to
make the full strength of the army in the
Philippines 10000 men: then it was de
cided to make it 10000, and the orders
under which the ten new regiments are
being recruited will raise the number to
| 63 600. To hc logical the next order
should name new command for this
! large army. The proceedings in connec-
| ton with the order to recruit these last
| ten regiments which, by the way, will
almost bring the volunteer army up to the
| limit set by Congress, were an object les
son in the wibIy-wably policy which this
| administration has so often adopted. AT
| first it was positively denied that the order
| would be issued at all; then it was said
| that the regiments would he raised. but
would merely he held rs a reserve, and at
| last, when it could no longer be hidden, it
was acknowledged that arrangements had
been made to land the last of them at
| Manila about the first of December, which
| means that they will leave San Francisco
| early in October.
The sending of Il bic army to the Philip
| pines is political play on the part of the
| administrations This is recognized by all
close political observers. The opinion Of
Colonel W. f. Mclean, of Indiana, who
| was Deputy Commissioner of Pensions
under the Cleveland administration, and
who is now in Washington Oh his way t."
| the G.. 4. r. encampment, to which he i
delegate at large is that of thousands
| regardless OF politics He said: Zone
thing is certain: if the Philippine war is
not ended before the presidential campaign
| comes on. il is good bye to President Nc
| k:nIey The war over there is fast grow
ing in unpopularity. The policy of *
| pansion is opposed Ivy Il great many west
ern republicans, and the democrats are
| nearly unit against it. Speaking of
| politics in his own State. Colonel Mclean
| saws: The Indiana democrat who is not
| for BRYAN and the Chicago platform is Il
| man without party, aud his position is
so lonesome that he almost feels rs though
| he had no cnuntry.' The Colonel knows,
| IL, e al
| in 1896.
| According to igh republican authority,
| Alger never was real candidate for the
| Senate, and his announcement to that
| effect was made after full understanding
with Mr. Mckinley, solely for the purpose
| of preparing reason for his resignation
from the cabinet. This may or may not
| be true, hut the announcement several
| ~ out of politics seems to bear ont Ia,
| story. There has been SO much rcruhli
| can thickness in Washington that one is
never surprised to discover something
| crowd seem to prefer doing even the most
| simple things in Il mysterious way. Ac-
cording to the above mentioned rcpubli-
can authority the real truth is, probably,
that the change finally in the War Depart
mcnt was compelled, not SO much by the
| bitter opposition to General Algcr per-
sonally rs to the necessity confronting" the
administration of infusing new vigor into
the war iii the Philippines, which was
languiShng beyond the period set for its
| successful conclusion.