The Opelousas courier., 1899-04-08
Washington Letter.
From Ol!r Regular Correspondent.

WASHINGTON, d. c., April 3, 1899.
A bomb was exploded in adminiStra-
ton circles by a prominent New York
Republican who came to Washington
for the purpose, when it was announced
that Gov. "Teddy" Roosevelt was in
the field for the Republican Presiden.
there was an understanding between
"Tcddy" and Gen. Miles. who has been
credited with entertaining similar am.
bition himself. Some of Mckinley's
friends appearto think that he is bound
to he re-n0minatca and ro-cleGk@ but
those of them who are long headedSud
who have had experience in polIticsSG
not look at things that way ; they know
that both Roosevelt and Miles have
qualities which are calcXated TO arouse
the enthusiasm and support OF the
young men i'll their party, ant that with
good management a combination OF
their following might give the llama
Mckinley machine Il hard fight, If not
an actual throw-down. If this an
nouncement ~ straight, Boss Plat must
have failed in his efforts to keep
"Teddy" off the Mckinley track.
With all Gar Reeds faults, and he
has enough to spare, Re has never been
a encaky fighter, which is more than
can be said for the administration
crowd. which is afraid to come out IN
the open and try to defeat Reed for the
Speakcrship, but is engaged in trying
to bluff into not being a candidate. 10y
stating that the administration Las de-
terInincd to throw its influence for
Reed, but with the express understand
ing that the rules of the next House
l-l II L.. ....,l ~, no f> mt ont IL ft,n
Cars business. The idea is that Reed
would not care to be Speaker, if he is to
be shurn of the autOcIatlc power he
has welded. This is on Il par with the
talk which has at times been heard ever
since Reed first became Speaker, about
Republicans who were gong to unite
with the Democrats to change the rules
and curtail the power of the Speaker.
They never did so, and if the Repnbll-
cans elect Reed Speaker Of the House
again, as they will almost surely do, he
will be the same old Car.
1t has been brought ont in the testl-
muny before the Military Court OF In
uniry that Gen. Eagan told Il Boston
contractor, and ii Texas cattle-iaiser,
who had in a bid for furnishing beef on
the hoof, that Secretary Alger had
practically ordered him to try the re-
frigerated beef, which Swift n Go.
claimed to have Il secret process of pre-
serving AS an experiment.. The longer
the Court sits, the worse things look
for the Alger- Eager crowd, and Major
Lee, who is representing sci. Mites,
SAYS he has lots more witnesses on his
list. Bnt ~ the meat has already been
fully proven [" have been bad, the
cont may decide that it is unnecessary
to hear all these witnesses.
Mr.. 1ckinlay has apparently ut last
btcnmG aroused to the danger to his
political fortunes, of retaining Algei in
l.is Cabinet, and unless al the political
"wIsc men, are at fault the CIV is hot
on the trail OF Alge! and cannot fail t"
catch MP with him very soon. 1t has
been, these men say, fully determined
by Boss IIanun and til" other directors
Of the administration machine that AlstI
must go. They prefer that he Should
do 80 willingly. bnt II h. der'Iiirs !"
tender lis resignation without beng
requested by Nh. Mckinley to do So,
Mr.. Mckinley will make that ,tqhest.
From 4 strictly selfish point OF view,
Democrats would prefer that Nh. Me
Kinle, siioulh keep A!G+r il The Caii-
n.i, for then it would be impossible Tor
tie administration to deny lrspon>ibl!-
ity Tor Algclism and all its l!nr!niS. tuii
Democrats are too p]itiiotlC to Wish t"
see man filling the Responsible office of
Secretary of War, who deserves To be
kicked oit, Just to make po'itlca! capt
ia! Cor their patty they WISH, above
everything else, 10 see the affairs OF The
government properly administered, and
know that they will not he in the War
Department. Hs long as Algci Is at Its
head.
A group Of army officers were discuss
Ing the cost and results Of the campaign
of Gen. Otis against the Flllplnos,
which has lust closed with the taking
of Aguinalho's capital and the driving
of him and his army Into the interior,
when one Of them said: "FoI my part,
| don't think the gane worth the can
die, After a considerable loss OF life,
we have the Philippine insurgents just
where the Spaniards had them That
is, we have possession OF the coast n
all of the towns and they are i'll the IN
terror. 1t is true that il We start after
them, our pursuit will be very different
from that OF the Spaniards, and that III
the end American grit is bound to WIN,
and we shall succeed in killing, captnr-
ing or subduing them all, but it will be
no picnic, | assure you, and L know
what the country is; we shall pay dear,
far too dear ! think, for our triumph
over them"
The Cubans who came to Washing
ton to present to the Administrator
resolutions adopted by the Cuban AS
sembly, left town in disgust when IN
formed by Secretary Hay that Mr.. Nc
KinIey would not receive them and that
no more money would he put up than the
So, OOO, 900 promised Gen. Gomez, and
that the Assembly would not be al
lowed to issue bonds for the purpose of
raising money. There is a trick con
cealed in this bond business that no.
body has succeeded in getting entirely to
the bottom of. There are also some
millions of dollars in it, if the admins
tration can he roped into giving an Off
cial consent. Although this consent
has Just been refused and not for the
first time, the schemels have no given
up, and are still at work and hopeful OF