Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1899-05-05
MILES STILL ON TOP.
THE ADMINISTRATION SEEKS TO
SHIRk RESPONSIBILITY.
The Eminent Political Warrior Fred. Grant
Preferred to Fighting Joe Wheeler-Suffer-
ing at Porto Rico-Reprimand of Capt
Coshlan-Boss Hanna VIII Select the
Speaker-More of Alsers Troubles.

ing at Porto Rco-Reprimand of Capt.
CoshIan-Boss Hanna VIII Select the
Speaker-More Of Alser's Troubles.
From our Regular Correspon lent.
WASHINGTON, April IS, 1899.
"Like master like man." Secretary
Ayers fight upon Gen. Miles has
mostly been of an underhandcd ma
ture, so it is not very surprising that
the report OF the Military Court OF In
quiry, now in Mr.. McKinley's hands,
should seek to make its attack upon
Gen. Miles seem fair by jumping on
few minor comrnissary officers and rec
ommending that they be court-mar-
tailed for neglecting their duty in con-
nec,ion with the beef supplied to the
army-a neglect that the report says
was extremely profitable to The beef
contractors. This thing isn't done
with. Gen. Miles was completely vim
dicated by the evidence taken and he
intends to keep on fighting until his
vindication is officially recognized,
and he has been assured of support by
prominent men in Congress, some of
them Republicans. He has known
from the first that the personal en-
nifty of two men connected with the
Court OF Inquiry would have prevent
ed his getting fair treatment, even
with Secretary Ayers influence
against him left out OF consideration.
Political pull was stronger with Mr..
Mckinley than his friendship for Gem
eral Joe Wheeler; consequently
&" Fighting Joe's" application for active
service in the Philippines was turned
down, and that eminent political war
rior Fred. Grant, chosen as one of the
three Brigadier Generals that are to
be sent to the Philippines at once; the
other two being Bates, who has just
been detached from the command of
the Santa Clara province, Cuba, and
Young, who has been supervising the
mastering out of volunteers in the
south. Gen. Wheeler has repeatedly
said that he would resign his commits
sion if he could not get active service,
but it is stated that he is to be offered
command of the Department of Texas,
which is to be revived. If Gen.
Wheeler accepts this command, it will
he an indication that there is some.
thing in the story of his expecting TO
be appointed Brigadier General in the
regular army.
Things are far from being satisfac-
tory in Porto Rico. Thirty.nin
deaths from starvation have been Off.
cially reported from a single province
since the free government rations
were suspended. and 100000 are re.
ported to be continuously hungry. It is
proposed by the Red Cross to establish
depots in the large cities for the sale
OF Porto Rican products for the bene.
fit Of the poor on the island. The
stuff will be given by Porto Rican
planters and merchants and brought
to the United States free by the Porto
Rican Steamship Co, if this govern
ment will allow them to be brought in
without payment of duty.
In deciding to reprimand Capt
Coghlsn, of the cruiser Raleigh, be.
cause he told a story that was pub.
lished all over the world nearly o year
ago, in what he supposed to be the
privacy of a club room. in New York
Secretary Long and the administration
added nothing to their popularity. II
looks too much like trucking to the
German Government to please the
average American. 1t was unneces.
sary for Secretary Hay to have taken
the proper stand in telling the German
Ambassador, when he called at the
State Department to make u protest
in the name of his government, thai
Capt. Coghlan had spoken as an indi.
vidual At q private gathering oil
friends. and with no expectation that
what he said was to be published, and
that this government would take nc
official cognizance of the matter, if the
Navy Department was to punish Capt
Coghlan. 1t looked too much like
Secretary Hay made bluff for public
consumption, and then privately rs.
sured the German Ambassador tina,
Capt. Coghlan would be punished
That doesn't square with the Ameri.
can idea Of strsightforwardness. II
that sort of thing is kept up our army
and navy officers will be afraid to talk
| a thar frtnnI, ,,,t,l -
them has been sworn not TO give hi.
remarks to u newspaper
Representative GrosvenOr has been
given a straight tip from headquarter.
not TO become q candidate for the
Speakership OF the House, because
Boss Hanna had decided that the adj
ministration could not afford to put
an Ohio man in that position. The
talk about Grosvenor having decided
not to become a candidate because he
thought Ohio was already sufficiently
provided with big political honors ia
all hosh. It was case of Hanna, not
diffidence.
Surely Alger is to be pitied now
Jay Hubbell, of Michigan, whose
political methods were too bad
even for the Republican party, whose
notorious connection with the forced
assessing OF government employees in
the Garfield campaign, when Hubbell
was at the head of the Republican
Congressional Campaign Committee,
has not been forgotten, fioated into
Washington this week and gave Alger
q public endorsement, through a news.
paper interview. Of course, Hubbell
endorses Alger; they are birds OF a
feather, but among decent people his
endorsement does more harm than