Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-07-29
NEW SECRETARY
OF War Appointed-CommerciaI In
ferests With Spain Politics
in Ohio-The Dewey
Home Fund.
Home Fund.
(Frcn our Regular Correspondent.

(Frcm our Regular correspondent)
| Washington. July z4th. I8oo-Tn Sc
Letting Hon. Elihu Root. Of New York
to succeed Gen. Alger as Secretary oil
4 War. President Mckinley has added
another to the long list of appointments
he has made that even his opponents can
not crificise. Mr.. Roots reputation as a
LAWYER stands second 10 that Of no man in
the country. And it was for that reason
he was chosen. President Mckinley
wanted the best lawyer he could find al
\ the head Of the War Department, 10
( handle the legal questions that are con-
slantiy arising in connection w til The
military government OF our new posses
sons, ard which are likely to be still
more numerous in the near future He
will get him in Mr.. Root. No change in
the Philippine policy is foreshadowed by
the change in the head Of the War De-
! partment. The organization Of the vol
unteer regiments is being pushed with
great rapidity-already more than four
thousand men have enlisted-and the ten
regiments are expected to be completed
| by the middle Of August, and on their
way to Manila very soon after that date,
as present plans are to have than all
over there by the close Of the rainy sea-
son, so that campaign aggressive enough
| to crush out the revolt before the next
rainy season rolls around can be waged.
| For the benefit of Mrs. McKinley's
health, which continues to be poor, the
President will this week take her to Lake
Champlain, near Plattsburg. N. Y. How
long they will remain there will depend
upon the amount Of benefit Mrs. McKin-
! ley may der.v There viii be no delay
to any public business of importance, by
this vacation, as the President viii be
connected with the White House by long
distant telephone, and will be able to
give the same attention to important
business that he does while in Washing
ton, and all matters requiring immediate
attention will be disposed of before his
departure.
The war with Spain abrogated all
treaties with the United States, and the
Treaty of Peace, which ended the war,
does not deal with commercial matters.
Consequently, United States trade with
Spain is now more or less handicapped.
For instance, Consul Sprague, at Gibral-
tar, has just called the attention of the
Department of State to the existence of a
differentisl duty of two pesetasa frac-
ton more than thrty-eight cents between
United States and British flour entering
Spain, in favor of the British flour. The
Consul added: "The matter is of some
importance as at present American flour
can undersell other foreign importations
in this line" When a new commercial
treaty is negotiated with Spain, as one
doubtless will be in the near future, such
drawbacks to trade will be done away
with, as President Mckinney will insist
that the United States be given every
commercial advantage poss essed by the
most favored nation.
Corporal Tanner, who has been per-
sonally intimate with Secretary Alger for
twenty years, said, while discussing Gen.
Ayers Ncord and his resignation, which
takes effect next week Whatever
measure of failure could be charged to
him as Secretary OF War, and, IN my
opinion, it is not in one thousand degrees
as great as many seem to think, is justly
more chargeable to the system in vogue
al the War Department, that of bureau
cracy and divided reasonability, than to
Alger. The historian who sums up AL
gers career dispassionately, with full
knowledge of events, must put him down
as really great man He will be known
as a man who fell victim of the infa-
nous assaults of sensationalism. In all
the great crisises in the history of this
government, there has been developed
wofish side in the nature of the American
people. This quality, when things do not
90 to suit the crowd, then demand hui
man sacrifice. They want to rend and
tear. | speak with full knowledge and
memory of the days when aportion of the
press lapooned Abraham Lincoln as a
baboon and clown, and derided Gen.
Grant as drunkard and butcher.
MIR. E. N. Higgins, of Columbus, o.,
who is always posted on the politics of his
state, said: This will be Republican
year in Ohio. We will elect our state
ticket by at least fifty thousand plurality.
The Democrats haven't ghost of a
chance, and wouldn't have, even if they
were not split into factions. No man the
Democrats can put up will be able to de-
feat Judge Nash. He is not only strong
in his own right, but the popularity OF
President Mckinley will bring out a very
full vote in the coming election. Our peo-
PIE are enjoying very satisfactory meas
ure OF prosperity. and that makes the av-
erage Republican very we'll pleased to
continue TO cast his ballot for the party Of
his choice
Assistant Secretary Vanderlipp, of the
easury, thinks that the Dewey Home
Fund, which now amounts to about ST. s.,
600 contributed by more than $4,000 per-
sons, will be sweled to at least 100000
by tie time the Admiral reaches the Unit
ed States. He thinks there are quite a
number of persons who will soon make
large contributions. Treasurer Roberts
and other members of the committee are
equally confident.