The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-01
THE FIGHT on SECRETARY ALGER

The belief is growing that Secretary Al
ger will be forced out of the cabinet. In
our Washington dispatches yesterday. enc
OF his warrnest friends was quoted as say
ing that the pressure from within the Re-
publican parry was getting too strong for
the President to resist, and that the sec
rotary would have to go.
There is no doubt that the secretary feels
keenly the hostility to him which has been
so evident for several months, and which
has grown in intensity instead of abat-
ing. For this hostility there does not APP
pear to be any good reason. There is no
doubt that the secretary has been exceed
ingly faithful in the discharge of his du-
ties. Efforts have been made to create
/ the impression that he had allowed his
| friends to make money out of govern
ment contracts, but the commission which
| Investigated the conduct of the war declar-
ed emphatically that there was not a scin-
tilla of evidence to show that there was
not the most scrupulous care and honesty
exercised in all the contracts which were
made for the government during the war
with Spain.
The only thing the commission said in
| its report that reflected in the least on the
| secretary was that 1.-The general admins
tration of the war department lacked that
| complete grasp of the situation which was
essential to the highest efficiency and dis
clpline of the army By some this has
been construed to mean that the secre-
tary lacked the ability TO manage the war
department. Evidently, however, the COM
mission didn't mean to be understood as
saying that the administration of the war
department was lacking In grasp and
scope at any other time than during the
war with Spain.
The New York Herald of last Sunday
devoted an entire page of Its space 10 an
attack on the secretary. The article was
very cleverly written. the good points in
the secretary's career being presented sim
ply for the purpose Of making some
of the charges against him appear blacker
by contrast. During the war with Spain
the Herald was active in Its efforts to be-
little the President and his cabinet, es-
pecially Gen. Alger. Its attack on that
member of the cabinet last Sunday was
however, the most insidious that has yet
appeared in its columns, One of the points
made against him in the article was that
after ne had been highly commended by
his superior officers for efficiency, as colo
mel of cavalry during the civil war, and
even recommended for promotion, he re-
signed from the army to avoid being court
martialed for absence from his post of
duty on the eve of battle. That old charge
has been brought forward so often and
shown to be wanting in anything discred-
table to Gen. Alger, that it has ceased TO
have any weight 1t is known that the
reason that Gen. Alger was absent from
his command on the occasion referred to
was that he was i'll, and had permission
to be absent. At that time also he had
been detailed at headquarters for court
martial duty.
Another charge in the Herald's article
is that he bought negro delegates to Re-
publican conventions when he was a can
didate for the Presidential nomination of
his party. That charge Is not likely to
have any weight with Republicans. The
buying of negro delegates to national Re-
publican conventions is not regarded as
particularly heinous offense among Repub-
licans. Was not John Sherman a purcbas-
er of negro delegates? If he was not, con-
temporary history has done him a great
injustice.
All such charges are simply brought
forward at this time for the purpose of
making it appear that the secretary Is
much worse man than he really is. The
real point at issue is this; Has he made
a capable Secretary of War? And in con-
sidering this question the fact that the
country was wholly and totally unprepar-
ed for war when Congress declared war
against Spain must be taken into consid-
GRAFTON. An army had to be created. arm
ed and equipped, and it had to be done
very quickly. 1t was done quickly. and
we'll done. 1t was done so quick.
ly and so we'll that the won
der and admiration of the nations
of Europe were excited. The secretary
may have been lacking in the respect
pointed out by the commission which IN
vestigated the conduct of the war. but
all fair-minded men will admit that he did
as well probably as any other man In the
country in his place would have done. 1t
may be that some favoritism was shown
in the matter of appointments. but IL must
not be forgotten that he had mighty lit
tie to do with making appointments. But
who can say that those appointed by him
did not do as well as those would have
done whom his critics and detractors
wanted appointed? 1t Will be recalled that
Jefferson Davis, about the best Secre-
tary of War this country has ever had,
was harshly criticised for appointing AL
bert Sydney Johnson to the command of
the expedition against the Mormons. and
yet the outcome of that expedition vim
dicated the judgment of Mr.. Davis.
That Secretary Alger was earnest. hon. |
est, conscientious and able in the admin |
istration of the war department during |