The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1899-08-03
ALGER
Is Feared Lest He Let a Cat
Out of the Bag.
PRESIDENT MCKINLEY
Makes n Positive Promise to the Gu
ns.-Washingt0n News,

bans.-Washington News.
Washington, Aug 2, 1896.-That
the administration fears Alger and
the disclosures he may make after
next Tuesday, when he will turn the
War Department over to Mr.. Elihu
Root who will become Secretary of
War on that day, is shown by the
frequency with which leading sup
porters of Mr.. McKinley's policy are
giving interviews to newspapers joll-
ing Alger along as the victim of per-
secution, and predicting that time
will vindicate him and his admins
tration OF the War Department. The
object of these interviews is to keep
Alger's mouth shut. Whether the
ruse will succeed Only time can tell.
For months Alger's personal friends
and hangers-on have been making
threats as to what he would 90 if he
was forced out of the Cabinet, and
iptimating that he could tell things
that would shift responsibility which
he has been made to bear to other
shoulders. 1t is now up to Alger and
he must show whether there was
foundation for those treats or wheth-
ing game he played to try to remain
IN the Cabinet, after he knew that
he was expected to get out. Anoth-
er scheme is also being worked to
keep Alger quiet through the pock
cts of himself and friends. 1t has
been limited to him that some Cuban
and Porto Rican business deals in
which he and his friends are finan-
cially interested will be knocked out
if he attempts to smirch the admin
istration, while they will be let alone
| il he keeps mum about administra-
| tion secrets.
The Navy Department seems also
to have some fake experts. In order
to prevent the battleships Ohio,
Missouri, and Maine, now being
built, drawing so much water that
they could not enter half of our larg-
est seaports, it has been found neces-
sary to change their plans, by sub
shutting IL inch for IL inch armor
and II inch guns for l3 inch guns.
Representative Clayton, of Ala,
attended the recent meeting of the
Democratic National Committee, of
which he is a member, and while in
Washington, this week, he talked
very Interestingly of political mat
tiers. For instance, he said: 81 learn
ed while in Chicago that Bryan
would be delegate to the next Nat
ional Democratic Convention, and l
do not violate any confidence in say
ing that if future developments
should give peculiar emphasis to
any public question, and should lead
majority of the delegates to regard
any other faithful democrat as bet
ter fitted to lead the party, Mr..
Bryan will arise in his place in the
Convention and support that candi-
date. l know that he has no selfish
purposes to serve, and regards vic
any ambitions which he may have.
| look upon Bryan's denomination as
| a foregone conclusion. He has the
| confidence of the common democ-
racy of the country, as no other man
has or could have. The democratic
masses support him without regard
to section. He is stronger than any
faction of the party, and can come
nearer to u iting all the elements of
the party than any other man."
If Secretary Root is to be only the
legal advisor of the War Depart
ment, who is going to direct it's mill
tary affairs? The is likely to become
an important question when active
operations in the Philippines begin
again. Gen. Miles would be the
proper official, but there is nothing
in sight to indicate that he is to be
allowed any more authority than he
has welded since Adjutant General
Corbin began, at the opening of the
war with Spain, to perform the duties
which properly belong to the Com
manding general of the army. 1t
was supposed that Alger directed
Corbin, and it has been intimated
that Mr.. Mckinley will do so in the
future. Mr. Mckinley was doubtless
a brave soldier, but the historians