The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-04-21
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHINGTON. d. G., April Eth.

I WASHINGTON, d. G., April Eth
MIR. EDIToR:-A midnight conference
was held to consider the spectcr OF sam
Jonessm, which is badly frightening Ohio
republicans The conference was partici-
pated in by Boss Hanna. Mr.. Mckinley,
and several other republicans of rromi-
nence who came from Ohio to Washing
ton for the purpose. They believe that
Sam Jones intends to run as an indepcnd-
ent candidate for Governor Of Ohio, and
that he stands a good chance of getting
enough votes to throw the state to the
| democrats, if he doesn't get elected him
self They realize that the loss of Mr..
McKinlcy's own state this year would
start boom for Teddy" Roosevelt that
might knock Mr.. Mckinley out of a re-
nomination next year. They don't know
just what to do about it. A proposition
was made that Sam Jones be given the
regular republican nomination for COVER
nor, but it did not find much favor, be-
cause it was stated that he could not be
controlled by the machine. 1t was also
| proposed that an attempt be made to as
certain whether Sam Jones could be
bought IF with big appointment in the
| diplomatic service. All agreed that some
thing had to be done to head off Sam
Jonesism in Ohio, and all promised to put
| their wits to work.
And the fighting still goes on in the
! Philippines. Our troops whip the Filipi
| nos and take town every day or two,
| but as soon as they leave the town-it
would require 900 men on the island
| of Luzon alone to permanently garrison
all the townsville Filipinos occupy it
again. And this sort of thing is likely to
| go on indefinitely. 1t is not surprising
that men are beginning to ask each other
how long the people of this country will
be willing to put up with this sort of
thing. The question is pertinent.
Not satisfied with trying to deprive him
of honors rightfully belonging to him the
Navy Department has ignored the request
of Rear Admiral Schley-he has at least
got his commission as Rear Admiration
sea duty, and practically placed him on
the shelf for the time being. by making
him a member of the Naval Examining
Board in Washington, while Sampson, the
man he ranks is in command of fine
squadron.
| Secretary Alger had hardly got settled
again in his chair at the War Department
before he made public a new defiance of
those republicans who have been trying
to persuade Mr.. Mckinley of the wisdom
of throwing Alger overheard regardless
of what he might tell of the campaign of
'9G. This challenge of Alger indicates his
belief that his hold on Mr. Mckinley is
strong enough to keep him in the Cabinet,
no matter what happens. He said: Since
I entered the Cabinet, have not consid-
cred resigning; the matter has never been
mentioned to me by the President, and
purpose of the constant reports that will
leave the Cabinet is to tire out the Pres.
dent and myself, those responsible for
them are very much mistaken,-they don't
know their men," 1t is an open secret
that many prominent republicans are
working to force Alger out of the Cabinet
They are willing to drop him easy by
letting him take the Ambassadorship to
France, or any other diplomatic position
under this government, but they insist
that he shall be asked to resign if he will
not do so. 1t was in connection with this
scheme that Whitelaw Reid's paper printed
a savage attack on Alger and Algerism a
few days ago. Rcids relations with Mr.
Mckinley are SO close-he would have
been in the Cabinet but for Boss Platt's
protests-that it is certain he never would
have printed that attack without Mr.. Nc
kinley's knowledge. The warmer this
fight grows the better democrats will be
pleased, because they know it is bound to
make heap of trouble for republicans
next year.
Wherever few long dedrepublicans
gather just now the subject of how the
party can get the idea that it is too favor
able to trusts out of the heads of the voters
is apt to come up for discussion. At a
gathering of several republican Senators,
in Washington, this week, one of them
said: Il must confess that do not con-
slider the political outlook over bright for
the republican party. The Spring cleo
tons were not encouraging. The Toledo
election l regard as most significant
Sam Jones, the Independent candidate for
Mayor, got almost as many votes as his
republican and democratic opponents COM
bined. What does it mean? l believe it
is condemnation of trusts and monopo-
lies. The republican party is in very
perilous position. 1t has apparently been
captured by the trust barons and monopo-
lists. Unless We can shake them off. |
believe it will be next to impossible to
elect Mckinley, or any one, on the repub-
lican Presidential ticket next year." An
other republican Senator present said:
"The sentiment against trusts is certainly
very strong throughout the West, and l
agree with you that we must do something
radical in order to disabuse the impression
in the public mind that the republican
party is party of trusts. 1t will not be
an easy thing to do, however. Even if we
put in strong antitrust plank in our
platform next year, the fact that the cam
paign will be in the hands of Mark Hanna
and other trust magnates will render our
declaration against trusts almost farcical. "
In refusing, without giving any reason
why, to summons six particular witnesses,
named by General Miles. the Military
Court of Inquiry did very unwise thing.