The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1899-08-04

Thsre is much shaking sud quakiug
in the old Alger clique ia the War
Department, because Of rum0r, which
seems 90 have foundation, that Score
tary Root, who is now i'm Washington,
preparatory TO being sworn I'm tomorrow
and taking charge intends 10 reorganile
the War Department from bottom to
top. Certainly no other department of
/ the government needs "a thorough re-
organization more than the one over
which Mr. Root has been chosen To
preside, bat the clique is powerful and
Secretary Root may lind himself un-
able to overthrow the Algeriles If he
is wise, he will get Cen Miles ON his
side by restoring him the authority Of
which be was deprived by Alger.
Attorney General Gregs, before go
ing Off ON his summer vacation, shat
tered The hopes of numerous persons
who thought they had everything
fixed To- secure valuable Porto Rican
concessions from The War Department,
10y rendering opinions upon three
specific CONCESSIONS The right To- use
the water power OF the river Plata, the
right to build and operate lramway,
aud the right To build and control, for
all time, piers aud whanes al Ponce.
These opinion take the ground that
all such concessions were the crown
property Of Spain, and sums them all,
and apparently an other public con-
cessions ON the island, mp as follows:
CAS- crown property, they were, 10y The
treaty of cession transferred by Spain
To the L. 5 Of America. and are now
part of the public domain Of that
nation do not know of any right or
power which the Secretary Of War or
the President has 60 ALLEVIATE i'm
perpetuity, any ~ The public domain
OF the /. S., except iu accordance with
acts ~ Congress, duly passed with
reference thereto" This is understood
TO be hint 20 Alger Of the power Of
the administration TO make trouble for
him and hi- business friends, who are
heavily interested in some Cuban deals,
II he attempts to antagonze the adj
muistration.
Representative Griffith, who repre-
SCENTS the Indiana district which sent
the late Judge Holman to Congress for
SO many years, said of politics in his
stale. and he knows: Indiana VIII
send To- the Democratic National con-
veuuuu a solid Bryan delegation.
The men who were for Mr. Bryan and
the Chicago platform, i'm 1896, have
not weakened in their faith regarding
either / am one of those who believe
i'm the indestluctibiliiy of the principles
of democracy, aud though the party
may suffer temporary defeat, IL is sure
to regain ascendeucy, for il represents
better than any other political organi-
zst.ol, The true Interests Of the people
The prsdon nant i.eus in 1909 il very
apt 20 be war upon trusts, and
upon this the Democrats will be in
far better position than their oppon-
ents The voters Of the country can
not be deluded by antitrust decara-
tious Of the Republican convention:
they understand that there is no real
between the leading men
Of that party and The trusts, but that |
on the contrary, the closest intimacy |
exists, seeing that most of the in |
huential Republicans are thoroughly |
Identified with combines and mOnopo- |
lies. We had great chance in 1896,
and We came very neas success, and |
we Will have just as good a chance in
1900. ] see nothing in the situation
hat is discouraging to Democrats, but
IN the contrary much that betokens a
winning campaign"
One of the conundrums Of the hour
5 why the sending OF a cablegram to
len. OTIS, conveying an expression Of
Mr.. McKinley's confidence in him,
md satisfaction with all he has done,
including his press censoring, should
rave been kept secret for ten days
fter 10 was sent? Some say that Mr..
wanted to ascertain now far
'ublic sentiment would 90 in support
ng the demand for the recall Of Otis.
nd that If that demand had been a
title stronger, the cabiegram would
ave been suppressed entirely. 1t aas
kept back for some purpose.
md IL wouldn't have been the first
me that Official matters have been
lade public or suppressed 10y this adj
in Difference to the state
public opinion.