The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-07-07
Washington Letter.
From our regular Correspondent
d. c.. June 30, 1899.

/
The political busybodles are all
working overtime seeking to array
President Mckinley on one side Of the
contest tor the Michigan Senatorship,
Tut it is 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 candidate
for re- election, is his warm personal
friend, and so is Secretary Alger, who
has announced his candidacy.
Whether it will cause the resigna-
ton of Secretary Alger is question
that he can answer better than any
body else 1t will not necessarily do
so, bat he may consider it expedient
to resign, to remove any restraint that
his candidacy might have upon the
actions of the President, and also in
order to better look after his own in
terests. That President Mckinley
would ask for his resignation because
he was candidate for the Senate
is improbable. There is nothing about
Cabinet portfolio that operates to
deprive its holder of any right possessed
by private citizens. If there were, it
would be as difficult for our President
to get Cabinet as it is for the Presi-
dent of France to get one.
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
an offer of $4,000 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 management,
although the salary offered was more
than five times the amount he receives
as Brig. General of Volunteers. Gen.
Wood will return to Cuba at once, be-
cause he believes it is his duty TO do
SO. He speaks of his doing so in the
most matter-of-fact tone. He said:
~ intend to remain in the military
service of the Government as long as
the service needs me. / feel in honor
bound to return to Santiago, now that
yellow fever is reported to have broken
out there" Gen. Wood has doubts
about the sickness at Santiago being
yellow fever, recalling his experience
there last year with pernicious
malarial fever, which caused men to
drop in the streets, and which num-
Der of experts pronounced to be yellow
fever. Sheaking of the Cuban situa-
ton, he said: at 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 a
volunteer force, not necessarily TO be
sent to the Philippines, but to be or
ganized, drilled, and kept in readiness
as an emergency force, in case Gen.
Otis should decide at any time that
he needs more men than have already
been ordered to him. The administra-
ton isn't a bit worried about Gen.
Otis, Notwithstanding the rawlings of
the hair-trigger editors about the
danger he is in, by reason of Aguin-
aldQ's alleged preparation to attack
Manila with the largest PHILIPPINE army
that has yet been in the field. On the
contrary, the administration knows
that Gen. Otis would regard it as the
greatest good fortune for Aguipaldo
to march his army against Manila, as
lit would give him exactly what lie has
been trying so hard to get-an oppor-
tunity to fight pitched battle with
the entire Filipino army, aud put an
end to the revolt III short order. A
little is sometimes good thing TO
have. Gen. Otis is an experienced
commander. He knows what be
wants 10 do, the obstacles before him,
and that he can have anything he asks
for from the administration to accom-
plish what he is three to do. He has
not had single reverse since assum-.
ing command in the Philippines.
Therefore, there is not single valid
reason for supposing that every Tom,
Dick and Harry knows better what he
needs and what he ought to have than
he does himself. while there is every
re lson for confidently trusting that be
will eucceed in due time IN putting
down the revolt, and that mono Of thc
direful predictions Of his failQro III
be realized.