The Republican., 1899-06-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

working overtime seeking to array
President Mckinley on one side of
the contest for the Michigan Senator
ship, but it is Il waste of time and
energy. President Mckinley is no
more likely to take sides in that con
test than is any other citizen of
another state. Senator Mcmillan,
who is a candidate for reelection, is
his warm personal friend, and so is
Secretary Alger, who has announced
his candidacy, 1t is ridiculous to say,
as some are doing, that the contest
involves the control of the Michigan
delegation to the Republican Ma
tiOnal Convention. 1t does nothing
of the sort. 1t has been stated for
months past by every Michigan Re
publican in Congress, and by Secre-
tary Alger, that the Michigan delega-
tiOn to the next national convention
was bound to be unanimous for the
denomination of President Mckinley,
because that is the sentiment of the
voters. What then could be Presi
dent Mckinley's object in interfering
in the Senatorial contest? That con
test will be settled by the Republican
voters of Michigan. Whether it will
cause the resignation of Secretary
Alger is question that he can an
swer better than anybody else. 1t
will not necessarily do so, but he may
consider it eXpedient to resign, to
remove any restraint that his can
dldacy might have upon the actions
of the President, and also III order to
better look after his own interests.
That President Mckinley would ask
for his resignation because he was II
candidate for the Senate is improb-
able. There is nothing about Cab
met portfolio that operates to deprive
its holder of any right possessed by
any private citizens. If there We're,
it would be as difficult for our Presi-
dent to get Cabinet as it is for the
President of France to get one Secre-
tary Alger is now i'll Washington, hav-
ing just returned from a vacation, but
he says he has nothing to add to what
he has already said about his can
didacy for the Senate.
General Leonard Wood. formerly
commander of the Rough Riders, and
now Military Governor Of Santiago,
has furnished additional proof that
he is an extraordinary man. by declin-
ing an offer Of $50. 900 a year TO be
come president of the big syndicate
which has bought nine of Washing
ton street railways and its two cleo
trio light companies and is preparing
to put them all under single man
agement, although the salary offered
was more than five times the amount
he receives as Brigadier General of
volunteers. Gen. Wood will return
TO Cuba at once. because he believes
it is his duty to do so. He speaks Of
his doing so in the most matter of
fact tone. He said: II intend to re
main in the military service of the
Government as long as the service
needs me. feel in honor bound TO
return to Santiago, now that the vel
VOW fever is reported to have broken
out there" Gen. Wood has doubts
about the sickness at Santiago being
yellow fever, recalling his experience
there last year with pernacious
malarial fever, which caused men to
drop in the streets, and which mum
Der OF experts pronounced to be yellow
fever. Speaking of the Cuban situa-
ton. he said: 1T is an easy matter
to get along with the Cubans. You
couldn't stir up a riot in Santiago
to-day, if you tried. Everybody is
cOntented for the first time in years.
We have only to give the Cubans a
good government, so good that they
viii be reluctant to do without it. and
that is an easy matter
1t is expected that when President
Mckinley returns to Washington, he
VIII issue orders for the recruiting of
volunteer force, not necessarily to
be sent to the Philippines, but to be
organized, drilled, and kept in readi-
ness as an emergency force. in case
ten. Otis should decide at any time
that he needs more men than have
already been ordered to him. The
administration isn't bit worried
about Gen. Otis Notwithstanding
rawlings of the har-trigger editors
about the danger he is in, by reason
of Aguinaldo's alleged preparation to
attack Manila with the largest Fill
pino army that has yet been in the
tield, On the contrary, the admins
tration knows that Gen. Otis would
regard it as the greatest good fortune
for Aguinaldo to march his army
against Manila, as it would give him
exactly what he has been trying so
hard to get-an opportunity to fight
Il pitched battle with the entire Fill
pino army. and put an end to the
revolt in short order. A little pa
thence is sometimes a good thing to
have. Gen. Otis is an experienced
commander. He knows what he
wants to do the obstacles before him.
and that he can have anything he
asks for from the administration to
accomplish what he is there to do
He has not had Il single reverse since
assuming command in the Phil
ippines. Therefore, there is not a
single valid reason for supposing that
every Tom, Dick and Harry knows
better what he needs and what he
ought to have than he does himself,
while there is every reason for conf
IDENTIFY trusting that he will succeed
in due time in putting down the re-
volt, and that none of the direful pre-
dictions of his failure will be realized.
Baltimore n Ohio Railroad. Reduced
Rates. Account Fourth of July.
The Baltimore & ohio II. Ii. will sell excur-
sion tickets to and from all points east of
the Ohio River, within a radius of 200 miles
but not to and from stations east of Balti-
more Md for all trains July I'd, 30 and 4th,
valid for return passage until July 5th, inclu-