Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-06-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
eFrom our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, June 26-ln these
days when so many men are ready
in their mad race 70 wealth to sac
rifce almost everything for money,
the man who places duty before mon
ey is a public benefactor, whose good
influence upon the youth OF the
country is incs'culable. Such a man
is Gen. Leonard Wood, Military
Governor ofSantiago aud formerly
commander of the Rough Riders.
Gen Wood, who Is at present i'll
Washington to see his wife and TO
confer with the War Department,
must nave been sorely tempted when
the Washington Street Railway and
Electric Light Syndicate offered him
$4,000 a year to resign from the
army aud become its President; his
salary as a Brigadier General OF Nol-
unteers, the rank he now holds, is on
" $500. But If so, he put the
temptation behind him and announc-
ell his intention to return TO his du-
ties at Santiago, and to remain In the
army as long as his services were re-
ouired. That announcement IS all
the more praiseworthy, for haYlng
been made after the yellow fever was
reported to have broken out at
Santiago. 1t is men of this stamp
who prove that money worship has
not succeeded in driving ont true
patriotism from the first position In
the esteem of the people.
The political wise-acrcs are saying
that Secretary Ayers retirement
from the Cabinet at an early day has
b zen made certainty by the formal
announcement of the alliance be-
tween himself and Gov. Pingree for
the purpose of attempting to put
Secretary Alger into the seat now
held bv Senator Mcmillan; they say
that if Secretary Alger does not vol
unfairly resign, the President viii be
forced to ask for his resignation by
political influence that can be WELD
cd by Senators Mcmillan and Bur
+ IS. Secretary Alger has returned
to Vas ington, but he isn't saying a
word on this subject. The President
will find himself in rather an embar-
RAISING position should Secretary Al
-er not voluntarily resign before he
begins an active campaign for the
SenatOrshlp, as Senator Mcmillan IS
me of his warmest personal friends.
In fact, the Presidents position Is |
bound to be more or less cmbarrass-
ing anyway. That he is a warm
friend of Secretary Algcr has been
fully proven by his standing 10y him
through all the criticism of his man.
agement of the War Department,
and keeping him in his Cabinet
against the advice and protest OF
many leaders of his party. 1t will
not be an easy matter for him to main
;ain strict neutrality in such con-
test. no matter whether Secretary
Alger remains in the Cabinet or goes
out. Owing to the war in the
Philippines and the Military control
of Cuba and Porto Rico, the War
Department has more fayors to dis
tribute than all the rest of the he
partments put together and Secretary
Alrer would be more than human II
he did not throw some of those fay
ors where they would advance his
candidacy, If allowed by the Presi-
dent to do so.
While War Department officials
will not admit as much publicly, 1t IS
an open secret in Washington, that
they are making preparations to carry
out an expected order from the
President to enlist considerable
body of volunteers, to be sent to tn"
Philippines, if they should be asked
for by Gen. Otis.