The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-06-16

From our Regular Correspondent.


WASH NGToN, June 12.- Everyh, dy is asking
| every body else why the administration is try
| ing So hard to keep the people in the dan
| about what is going ON in the Philippines. when
| only short time ago it was its boast that it
published all the official dispatches received
| 1t is known from the press reports that have
been Above TO pass the Military Censor at
Manila, that hard fighting has been going on.
and the. HtIspiciun IL growing that Gen. Otis is
| making some use III the volunteers who should
| be on their way home, if any of t. g numerous
promises made had been kept that the admin
| istraton doesn't wish their friends at home TO
know until whatever is being attempted is all
over. And it is admitted by officials that there
are differences between Gen. Otis and Mr..
| Schurnau, President of the Philippine Com
| mission, hut claimed that the differences ure
unimportant. The publ doesn't care II CON
tInrntal about the claims made by officials but
| it wishes TO know and leeis that it has right
/ to know what is being done with our volun-
teers; hence there is general feeling of resent
| me"I against the suppression OF the official dis
patches.
Oue of the principal reasons why Secretary
| Alger desires to retain the War portfolio, even
| when be knows that MIR. Mckinley would like
| to get rid of him, will soon become apparent
| to close observers. as it has been announced
| that number Of franchises for various more
| or less valuable concessions in Porto Rico are
shortly to be granted. 1t might naturally be
! supposed that such franchises, If granted at all
| before the establishment OF the civil govern
ment for the island, would be granted BY the
| Military Governor, but no chances are to be
! taken by the men who are after those fran
| chises; they are to be granted by Secretary
Alger, and it is dollars to ginger-cakes that
every one of them that is at all desirable, will be
captured by his friends and business associates
| In issuing second elaborate defense of
| Mr.. McKinlcy's Civil rrvicc order. Secretary
Gage rather overdid his task, without changing
| any hody's opinion. Criticism OF the order ha We
| made MIR. Mckinley very sore, and he hnS en-
gagged In the explanation business himself and
even tried TO get funny" by telling how sur
| prised Senators and Representatives have been
| who have come after some of he places ex-
| cepted from the Civil Service Rules and found
that they were all filled, and that no removals
| were contemplated He also gave out for
| publication letter from the Board of the
Smithsonian Institute. asking that the heads of
| all the bureaus of that establishment be ex-
| empted from the civil service rules. So much
| explanation is Ca culated to increase rather
than diminish suspicion of that order. The full
significance of the clause which permits the re-
| instatement of any government employee, re-
| gardless of how long they have been out of the
| government service, is just beginning to be
| seen. Under it every employee who was dis
| missed during the two Cleveland administra-
lions can be re instated, if they have pull
enough.