The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-08-04
SOME VIEWS AT WASHINGTON
fRY c. A. EDWARDS. ,


contained a paragraph to the effect that
Steve Ellins was shooting directly at Nc
| Klnley when he gave out his interview
defending Alger. The paragraph seemed
to express some surprise that such should
be the case. Well, 1t is no surprise to
those up here who have been watching
! the game OF grab since 1t started in the
early days OF the war, even before the
war with Spain was actually under way.
Loot did 1t. Ever since the freebooters
started In to loot the treasury during this
war. Mckinley has had row in his
kitchen cabinet and it has caused him no
end of trouble and worry. The row started
with Hanna on one side and Elkins on
the other. AS II progressed 1t involved the
followers OF the two factions. AS the
head OF the syndicate which invested S11S.-
900 for the privilege of a four years pull
Hanna expected an absolute monopoly OF
all war contracts. II was Hanna's plan
to have all these unscrupulously exacted
profits, wrung from the National treas
ury while the war with Spain served as
pretence for the robbery, go into the
syndicate strong box. But at the very
jump he struck snag. Elkins. who Is
rich, is In the coal business. So is Hanna.
They had a row over the division OF the
spoils accruing from the sale OF coal TO
the government for war purposes.
49,
But honest men did not get their due in
this instance. Hanna wanted the earth.
He wanted a monopoly of all the ship con-
tracts, clothing contracts, meat con-
tracts and all the miscellaneous sources Of
syndicate profit. Elkins kicked. He was
willing that Hanna should have everything
but the coal contract. That he had picked
out as the particular war goose which
was to lay the golden egg of profit for
himself. Even before the declaration of
war with Spain, these two administration
touts were at loggerheads. Hannas
greed overcame his prudence He de-
clined Elklns offer to compromise. and
started in to freeze him out Of the spols
syndicate; to cut off his graft. to prevent
his selling coal to either war or navy
departments. The Ohio head of the White
House ring figured that 1t was worth the
trouble of running Elkins out of the ring.
1t meant about 700. 600 tons of coal within
the twelve months following the first shot
of the war 1t meant, in other words, more
than S4,O00,000 cash coaxed out of the
treasury, of which easily s1,00O000 was
profit. That was too much for Hanna.
He could not let that opportunity slip,
so the war between the coal barons began
simultaneously with the war with Spain.
1t was waged with as great intensity, in
its limited sphere as was the open war
upon the sea against the power of Spain
1t also caused Mckinley many hours OF
anxiety.
Elkins had the advantage of his bulky
and avaricious opponent from Ohio. He
has been secretary of war himself and
he knew all the devious red tape methods
which tangled Hanna into a double bow
knot. He also took the precaution to de-
mand that the vacillating and backbone
less head OF the White House should main
tain strictly neutral position. In other
words, he was to sit on the "bleachers"
and watch this game of loot played to the
conclusion without ''rooting" for either
side. This war within the kitchen cabinet
waged with varying phases through the
days of preparation for actual hostilities.
and all during that short struggle there
was busy work for the syndicate sharks.
First Elkins would get contract, and
then Hanna would get one. But cunning
combined with tireless energy will tell,
and the Elkins wing got more contracts
than the Hanna faction. This wolfish COM
petition, however, resulted in no gain
grabbere never cut prices. Early in the
war the navy department bought 452,551
tons OF furnace coal, for which 1t paid
~, 0O5, an average of S4.6s per ton ton
for soft coal. Hows that? Before the
half million mark in tons of coal was
reached, Hanna was obliged to acknowl-
edge himself beaten in the game, COM
PEELED to knock under and see all the rich
profits from coal contracts handled by
another. This Ohio bargain counter pur-
chaser of presidency then reluctantly ;
acknowledged that the division proposed
by his fellow-spoilsmen was a fair divide
of the loot. and thereafter he confined
his takings from the war fund to avenues !
other than coal.
But he Is still sore and has not made
up his business difference with Elkins,
Peace has thus far been compelled nv ,
Eikins He is politician with a nature
as mereiless and grinding as that of his I
rival, but is his superior mentally and G
his equal in business ways that mean a
profits. Every time that Hanna has got !
gay Elkins has threatened senatorial
expose OF administration rottenness; has Y
limited darkly that II an Ohio head popned a
up In an ugly way the next congress Will
be steered into an investigation OF war a
rooberies. This has been all sufficient tol G
send the anti Elkins members OF the White v
House speculative gang to cover ON n
dead run. But Hanna is going to try n
get even. He is in Europe. but his faitn- S
'ui henchmen are at work. There is NOW
scheme on foot to beat Elklns for ra- a
election to the senate. To say that Marx a