Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-06-26
CAMPAIGN IS NOW UNDER WAY
ADMITS THAT HE HAS AN ALLY IN
PINGREE.
VIII Discuss Situation with President
This week-No Friction or EN-
barrassment on Either Side
MISUNDERSTANDING to
Succeed Him.

kinley and Secretary Alger will both return
TO Washington early in the week, and they
will no doubt discuss their future relations
!, in view of the opening of General Alger's
! active campaign for the senatorship. There
is no reason to anticipate any friction or
| embarrassment on either side The two
are friends of long standing, and they have
been in entire accord in their relations since
Alger entered the cabinet. The secretary
has followed the presidents Instructions,
and the president has upheld the secretary,
notwithstanding the criticism of the war
department IN the opposition press. The
president has not desired to get rid of Al
ger, and there has been no intention on the
part of the secretary to leave the cabinet.
| He did not intend to do more at this time
| than announce his candidacy for senator
and then leave the campaign for the future,
as the election of a senator in Michigan
| will not take place until January, 1901.
But Governor Pingree has announced Sec
| retary Alger's platform in the senatorial
| campaign, and the secretary has admitted
that the announcement is correct. This will,
| in way, begin the Michigan campaign al
once and turn all future political discussion
of two great questions toward the candi-
dacy of Alger, that the administration
would be involved more or less. 1t is believ
ed by Secretary Alger's friends that he will
soon tender his resignation as secretary of
war and return to Michigan to look after
the senatorial campaign. There is no criu-
cism in administration circles of the sec
retary for becoming a senatorial candidate,
nor for boldly declaring his position on the
trusts and the method of electing United
States senators. -
The candidacy of Alger for the senate
would not necessarily involve his retire
ment from the cabinet, but the issues he
will represent would make 1t embarrassing
for the president to continue him as -secre-
tary of war. Governor Pingree is not re-
garded as an anti-administration Republic.
an, though he has opposed Senator Bur
rows and advocated some things that are
not regarded as part of the Republican doc
trine. An alliance between Pingree, and
Alger would not embarrass the adninistra-
ton, but it is difficult to see how General
Alger can remain in the cabinet after he
has declared himself the exponent of the.
doctrine that all combinations of capital
are dangerous, and that the constitution
must be changed regarding the election of
| United States senators, in order that they
| may be elected by a direct vote of the peo-,
! pie. -,--u
| Why Alger May Retire.
These two issues are not positively anti
administration issues, but they have been
|
parties, so that until another national Re-
publican convention writes a new platform
the secretary of war might be regarded as
| leaning more to the opposition than to the
administration party. Under these cfrcum-
stances it is believed that Secretary Alger
| will not care to remain longer in the cab
| met and create the suspicion that the ad-
ministration is in sympathy with his plat
| form.
The secretary has had the Endorsement of
the facts developed in the war investiga-
ton so that record is closed, and his form,
er critics have been silenced. In his new
| political departure he is on the same
ground with many of his severest critics,
| for they also oppose the trusts and favor
election of senators by direct vote Of the
people. These are not regarded as Re-
publican issues, and the administration has
given no indication that it will care to
father them. The president has embarrass-
ments enough in his own state, where a
political campaign must be looked after
this year. The Ohio Republicans are not
ready for an indiscrIminate war upon COM
binations of capital, as the leaders there
who come nearest to rejecting the views
of the president do not see how these
| combinations can be destroyed and the
United States still meet on even ground the
great trusts of Europe in the fight for the
| commerce of the world. They do not see
how we can have expansion of territory
and trade and at the same time restric-
ton of business opportunity in connection
with this expansion.
If the Ohio Republicans take this stand
1t will be regarded as the position of the
president. and he cannot afford to have a
member of his cabinet making a campaign
on issues directly opposed in another state.
He would be under the suspicion of carry
ing water on both shoulders regarding this
question.
Neither is the president prepared to have
his administration committed to the doc
| trine that the legislatures can no longer
be trusted to elect United States senator's
| That would ALLEVIATE large number of
| senators who are earnest advocates of the
existing plan. The president cannot well
afford to take issue with the senate on
such a question, which is regarded as more
of Democratic plan than Republican. 1t
is therefore difficult for the friends to see
how Secretary Alger can remain in the
| cabinet and at the same time stand as the
most conspicuous exponent of these two
issues, which are hobbies of Governor Pin
gree.
Pinsree May Separate Them.
1t is believed that Secretary Alger will
not care to remain in the cabinet after
having declared his political platform in
Michigan. Tor TO 90 so WOuIQ also
some doubt upon his own sincerity in tax
ing up these Issues. If the administration
opposes them, Alger cannot remain part
OF the administration. There seems to be
no way for the president and Secretary
Alger to remain together unless the presi-
dent also fathers the Pingree issues. 1t is
believed that the time Is near at hand
when General Alger will resign from the
cabinet and devote himself to his sena-
torial campaign.
General Alger is not a man to use any,
body as a cloak for his political maneu.
vers, and his friends say that he will step
out of the cabinet now that the fight on
the war department has ceased, and since
he has declared himself candidate for
senator.
Who will succeed Alger as secretary of
The name of Horace Porter, the present
ambassador to France, has been so much
used in this connection, and by those who
were trying to drive Alger out of the cab
met by charges against the war depart.
ment that 1t Is not now believed that he is
a probability The president rather re-
sented the efforts in behalf of General
Porter when he was not ready to make a
change in his cabinet. He thought well
of Porter, but he did not like the support
Porter had for cabinet honors. as this sup
port came from those who were opposing
and abusing the administration
The name of General James Wilson of
Delaware, has been suggested General VIII
son has fine reputation a soldier a
business man, and a statesman. He was
one of the men who won distinction and a
major generals commission in the civil