The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-05
PRESIDENT IS A
PEACEFUL SOUL
And Ho Is Troubled Over Internal
DiSS0ntiOnS
IN THE WAR DEPARTMENT
AlSer Wants Miles OuSted and Miles
Wants the Secretary to Go.
,..uasatr
AN OUTBREAK is IMMINENT
How Long Mckinley Can Ward of the
Actual Clash Remains to be Seen
President Would Like Mer-
rift to Supersede Miles.

Washington, February 4.-(Special.)-
There are great many stories going the
rounds of Washington about the presidents
health. While the president has denied that
he is in bad health or suffering from ner-
vous prostration, still there are some
grounds for the rumors. The president Is
worried, but more over the internal bick-
erings in the war department and in his
cabinet than he is about the fate of the
treaty or the prospects of future trouble
with Aguinaldo.
The president Is a peaceful soul. He loves
peace. He would almost rather go to war
than not have peace. His nature can right
itself after or during any moment of for
eign complications. But when it comes to
settling disputes between members of his
- cabinet and between the head of the army
and the head of the war department. he
does become perplexed.
President Mckinley is fond of Secretary
Alger, and has stood by his minister of
war with loyalty that nothing as yet has
been able to shake. He has also stood by
General Miles. How long he can prevent
an actual clash from coming to his cabinet
remains to be seen. The secretary of war
wants General Miles relieved from COM
mand of the army, and Mics friends will
not be satisfied until they force Secretary
Alger to resign.
Presidents Counsels Peace
The president has counseled both sides
to peace, and to suspend hostilities until
foreign matters are settled and the peace
treaty ratified. The president would like
to settle the matter by superseding General
Miles by General Merritt or General Brooke.
This much seems to be we'll known here.
This would remove the thorn in Secretary
Ayers side, but then the resentment of
the Sherman faction in America would
have to be met, if not the resentment OF
the entire standing army; for say what
they will about General Miles, he has the
regular army back of him and a majority
of the volunteer officers and nearly all vi
the volunteer men. Every boy or man VINO
went into this war thinking he was going
in for picnic, and who were disappointed
when they came in contact with rigid camp
life and army rations, espouses the man
who, from any high palace, condemns the
food they ate
ed had the administration followed it's first
dictates and permitted General Miles to
take his place at the head of the army in
the field. AT that time Miles had to stand
a great deal. Every day he remained in
Washington the papers were peppering him
with criticisms for not going to the front.
AT last he made 1t clear that he was being
held here against his wish, and then those
who had criticised him the worst took his
side The regular army, in which General
Miles was not popular at first, had its 10y
atty to its chief aroused and came to the
conclusion that to humiliate the general
was to reflect upon 1t. Instead of Miles be-
ing the most unpopular man in the army,
as he was when the war broke out, he Is
the most popular man in 1t now. A lot of
ininStica has hpPD done SeOrafaru
too and he naturally wants to be vindi-
Gated. There Is no way to vindicate Alger
without humiliating Miles
There is no way to satisfy the friends of
General Miles without humiliating Ager.
Not Serene in Cabinet
All is not serene In the cabinet, either
There are some members of it who are
staunch supporters of General Miles, and
who do not sympathize with the secretary
of war. There is no need to mention who
these are, for as yet the matter has been
kept under by the president.
1t is this that is worrying the president.
Some of the great dailies are calling upon
the president every day to drop Alger,
while others are hammering at him for toll
Grating Miles characterization any longer.
In the meantime there is that ghost of a
Sherman faction out there In Ohio and
here in public life at Washington. Mrs.
Miles was a Sherman, and her family are
persistent fighters. The old ex-secretary is
not only still alive, but mentally strong
again. He was in the senate for severai
hours the other day, and senators say
that he was never clearer In conversation
than he is now, nor better able to seize
proposition or work out a political problem
than he is today. Where there is so much
feeling there is naturally much intrigue,
and everybody of any Importance is being
dragged in one way or another to take
sides. The women of the army have taken
up Mrs. Miles sde and there is perfect
jam at the home of Miles every day she
receives. Some woman called Mrs. Miles
last reception vote of confidence. In spite
of snow and sleet there were carriages ex-
tending from the Miles home on N street
two blocks distant. This is little thing in
itself, except when viewed from the stand
point Of this army woman, who said 1t was
q vote of confidence. Wives of retired off,
GERS who had not been visiting for years
have gone to pay their respects 1t is in
teresting as showing how far this row ex-
tends. People are at a loss as to how to
keep the different factions separated at
their entertainments, and every dinner
now has to be selected with great care for
fear of intermingling the wrong people.
It is difficult to see the outcome. I think
the president has planned this visit to Porto
Rico and Cuba for Secretary Alger for no
other purpose than to get little breathing
spell for a time.
Daviss and Merriam
AS companion piece to this trouble,
which has been dragged into society, is that
unpleasantness between the Davis family
and that of Governor Merriam. This story
is old and well known. Everyone will re-
member how Governor Merriam, the aristo-
cratic politician Of Minnesota, has been
forced to live quiet citizen because Mrs.
Davis would not consent to have him ap-
pointed to a diplomatic post. The whole
trouble grew out of the fact that Mrs.
Merriam would not receive Mrs. Davis So