Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-07-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON. July q. l89


WASHINGTON, July "a 1899.
The unsuccessful buffer is spoken of as
duffer by sports. Well. Alger is an un-
successful political buffer, and the result
will be his retirement from public life on
August 1. Somehow this bluffing phase of
the question has been overlooked. But a
close friend of Ayers is responsible for
the statement that Alger's resignation was
handed to Mr. Mckinley as a big bluff,
with the expectation that he would decline
it 10 nice little note that Alger could
have published to refute the charge that
he was remaining in the Cabinet against
Mr.. McKinley's wishes, and that Alger was
the most surprised man in Washington
when he received Mr.. McKinley's note
accepting his resignation to take effect
August l. The same men says that Alger
is very mad, although pretending to be
greatly pleased, and that he may toss a
few bombshells administrati0nward, after
he drops official harness, and that their
explosion will not make pleasant music
for Mr. Mckinley. If the new Secretary
of War-Mr Roots merely to look alter
the legal questions connected with our
military occupation of Cuba. Porto Rico
aud the Philippines, leaving military
affairs to be controlled by Meikltjohn and
Corbin, and that is the present under
standing, Algerism isn't likely TO depart
with Alger.
Unless Mr. Elihu Root, of New York,
can persuade Mr.. Mckinley to shake up
the War Department clique and to give
Gen. Miles the say that properly belongs
to him as Commanding General of the
Army, in all strictly military matters, he
will live TO regret the day he so eagerly
accepted the War Portfolio to perform
duties properly belonging to the Attorney
General, after two members of the Cabinet,
fully cOnversant with the situation, had
declined 10 do so, and to stand before the
country IS figure head responsible for the
conduct of the War Department.
Perhaps it was fellow feeling that
caused Corporal Tanner, who was kicked
out of the Pension Bureau by Harrison,
after few months service as Commissioner,
TO rush into print with fulsome praise of
Alger and Algerism. Whatever il was, it
was creditable to Tanners heart, if not to
his sense of thrift, to stand up for the
under dog, in this fracas, because he liked
him personally, although he knew when he
did it that it was likely to lessen his own
pull on the administration.
Mr.. NJ L. Lockwood, of Pennsylvania,
President OF the American Antitrust
League. which although non partisan
organization, purposes to take an important
part in the Presidential campaign, is
strong Bryan Democrat, and he says of the
sentiment of Pennsylvania Democrats 81
am in touch with the true Democrats of
Pennsylvania, and it is safe to say that
ninety-five per cent of them are loyal to
Bryan, and the principles of the Chicago
platform. The real Democracy of the
State and of all the other States must be
on the alert, and if the tricksters get one
vote more than one third of all the mem
bers OF the National Convention, they will
accomplish their end, which is the defeat
of Bryan. The monopolistic and trust
interests will bend all their energies to
defeat his nomination because they recog-
nize that no human power can prevent his
victory at the polls, if he be again declared
the nominee of the Democratic party"
The statement that Hon. w. c. Whit
ney, whose shrewd manipulation procured
the last nomination of Mr.. Cleveland, in
spite of seemingly invincible obstacles, had
gone to Europe for the purpose of trying to
persuade Admiral Dewey to allow his
name TO go before the next Democratic
Convention. as a candidate for the Presi-
Dental nomination, while interesting, was
not regarded in Washington as of any
particular importance Mr.. Whitney has
been hunting for some time for anybody
to beat Bryan, and has sounded a number
of men as to their willingness to contest
the nomination with Col. Bryan. Nobody
with the slightest political knowledge has
shown any disposition to try to do the
impossible, and it is among the possibll
titles that Mr.. Whitney, banking upon
Admiral Dewey's ignorance of politics and
existing political conditions, may intercept
him somewhere in Europe and try to
persuade him to attempt it. Those who
know him best say that Admiral Dewey
never changes his mind, after having once
decided a question, and that be will give
Mr.. Whitney the same answer he has
already given to others to the same ques
tion.
Gen. Carlos Garcia, son of the late Gen
CalixtO Garcia, is 10 Washington, as a
representative of the Cuban Republican
League, which advocates complete political
Independence of Cuba. He asked Mr.
Mckinley for authority to hold elections
for municipal officers throughout Cuba, 10
order to demonstrate the ability of the
Cubsns 10 govern themselves. Mr.. Me
Kinley did not give him decided answer,
bat 1t had been previously said by officials
that no elections would be held in Cuba.
until a census of those entitled to vote
had been taken.
The assets of the Middlesex County