The Republican., 1899-07-27
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., July oath. 1899.

New Ork, 10 succeed uell. AlSef te
Secretary of War, President Mckin-
ley has added another to the long list
of appointments he has made that
even his opponents cannot criticise.
Mr.. Roots reputation as Il lawyer
stands second to that of no man in
the country. And it was for that
reason he was chosen. President
Mckinley wanted the best lawyer he
could find at the head of the War
Department. to handle the legal ques-
tions that are constantly arising in
connection with the military govern
ment of our new possessions, and
which are likely to be still more
numerous and more complicated in
the near future He will get him in
Mr. Root. No change in the Philip
pine policy is foreshadowed by the
change in the head of the War De
partment. The organization of the
volunteer regiments being pushed
with great rapidity-already more
than four thousand men have enlisted
and the ten regiments are expected
to be completed by the middle of
August, and on their way to Manila
very soon after that date, as present
plans are to have them all over there
by the close of the rainy season, so
that campaign aggressive enough
- ,,I, l,rR tl,n
next rainy season rolls around can be
waged.
For the benefit of Mrs. Mckinley's
health, which continues to be poor,
the President will this week take her
to Lake Champlain, near Plattsburg,
n. Y. How long they will remain
there will depend upon the amount
of benefit Mrs. Mckinley may derive.
There will be no delay to any public
business of Importance, by this vaca-
ton, as the President will be con-
nected with the White House by long
distance telephone, and will be able
to give the same attention to import
ant business that The does while in
Washington, and all matters requir-
ing immediate attention will be dis
posed of before his departure.
The war with Spain abrogated all
treaties with the United States and
the treaty of Peace, which ended the
war, does not deal with commercial
matters. Consequently, United
States trade with Spain is more or
less handicapped. For instance. Con
sui Sprague, at Gibraltar, has just
called the attention of the Depart
ment of State TO the existence of Il
differential duty of two pesetas-a
fraction more than thirty-eight cents
between United States and British
flour entering Spain, in favor of the
British flour. The Consul added
The matter is of some Importance,
as at present American flour can un-
dersell other foreign inportations in
this line" When new commercial
treaty is negotiated with Spain, as
one doubtless will be in the near
future, such draw backs to trade will !
be done away with, as President Nc
Kinley will insist that the United |
States be given every commercial
advantage possessed by the ''most
favored nation
Corporal" Tanner, who has been
personally intimate with Secretary
Alger for twenty years, said, while
discussing Gen, Alger's record and
his resignation, which takes effect
next week "Whateyer measure of
failure could be charged to him as
Secretary of War-and, in my opin-
ion, it is not by one thousand degrees
as great as many seem to Thinks
Justly more chargeable to the system
in vogue at the War Department,
that of bureaucracy and divided re-
sponsibility, than to Alger. The his
torian who sums up Alger's career
dispassionately, with full knowledge
Oh cNtulS, lluSt Ijub MN tONh c'S s'
really great man. He will be known
as a man who fell victim to the in
famous assaults of sensationalism.
In all the great crises in the history
of this government, there has been
developed wolfish side in the nature
of the American people. This quail
ity, when things do not go to suit the
crowd, makes them demand human
sacrifice. They want to rend and
tear. / speak with full knowledge
and memory of the days when Il por-
ton of the press lampood Abraham
Lincoln as Il baboon and clown, and
derided Gen. Grant as drunkard
and butcher"
Mr.. E. n. Huggins, of Columbus,
Ohio, who is always posted on the
politics of his state, said; This will
be Republican year in Ohio. We
will elect our state ticket by at least
fifty thousand plurality. The Demo