The times., 1899-04-27
GENERAL WASHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.


Croker's Absence and Regency
The departure of Richard Croker for Eu-
rope at this particular iuncture may be not
without important political results. 1t will
be remembered that the Tammany autccrat
went abroad several years ago. leaving
| John f. Sheehan as Prince Regent. 1t
must be said of the latter that he admin
| istered the government in his chiefs stead
with loyalty and success. This is attested
in the notorious fact that when the po-
| tentate returned Sheehan was able to turn
over to him an unbroken organization, and
one ready and willing to do the Grand
Sachems behests without thought or ques-
| ton.
According to prominent Tammany man
who is in Washington for a few days. the
same thing may net happen this trip. Car
roll is no doubt devoted to Croker, but,
unlike Sheehan, he is not popular with the
| rank and file of the organization, and,
moreover. has Sheehans and others sore
ness to contend with In addition to this
consideration there is widespread dissat-
isfaction among Tammany leaders over
Croker's tendency TO ignore the arithmeti
cal law of division, and to absorb every
thing in sight for his own personal salts
faction. 1t is not to be expected that this
| viii be given as a reason for mutiny. The
| genial Indian who furnishes our infor-
| nation states that the issue between
| Croker and the recalctrants will be
made on the boss inclination to bolt Bryan
and silver. since the great majority of the
braves are silver men. Carroll. therefore.
is liable to have his hands full and Croker
may not find much occasion for joy when
he returns from Europe.
| AlRer Relief Tho raport
printed in one or two Administration pa
pers, to the effect that Captain Howell, OF
Atlanta. and the late malodorous Alger Re-
lief Commissioner, may head Georgia
delegation to the next Democratic National
Convention in opposition to Bryan and the
| Chicago platform is regarded as huge
joke in Democratic circles in Washington.
Said leading Senator at Chamberlins
last night: zone of the chief features
of our campaign next year, if not the DOM
inant one. will be an attack upon the Nc
Kinley Administration all along the line
for its mismanagement of the Spanish war,
for corruption in the matter of fever
camps. the purchase of transports, and.
above all, for its guilt as accessory to the
embalmed beef and canned pulp crimes.
II would be too ridiculous for a man like
Howell. who cheerfully joined in the
| whitewashing operations Of the Alger Re-
| dCtiUB as tHe Couleuerdle
OF Credit Mobilier Dodge, Tincarrion Dem
by, Pullnose Beaver. Chuck Conner.
Wheelhead Wilson, and Mcdowell McCook,
to come into Democratic convention and
assume to represent anything on that kind
| of a record. Mr.. Bryan may be defeated
| for second nomination, but 1t will not
be on the strength of any movement head
ed or engineered by agents OF Alger in the
| Democratic ranks"
MIR. Mckinley and Beef.-A leading
Republican politician who is also mem
Der elect of Congress has written to one
OF the Administration Senators here, urg-
ing him to use his influence with the
President to have something done to pre-
vent landslide from the party next year.
as result of the beef scandal, which he
represents as growing more dangerous to
Republican prospects every day. Among
other things he writes: THE reJec-
tion of the Darlington report by the Beef
Court, and the story of its previous sup
preston by Algers have created an absolute
storm in our ranks. If there were 10 be
| national election tomorrow / do not be-
lieve we could carry voting precinct in
my district. Returned volunteers and
| their friends, but more especially the
friends of soldiers who died from the ef-
fects of poisoned food during the Spanish
war. are nearly insane with rage over
| what they assume TO be an evident inten-
tion on the part of the Administration to
shield contractors and corrupt officials,
and TO persecute and ruin every friend of
the common soldier connected with the
exposures. / tell you, Senator, If this
curse of Algerism is not speedy removed
from US we might as well give up the next
| Presidential fight in advance. 1t would
send a party nearly composed of :.aints
and angels to perdition. 1t will sink us
beyond hope unless something honest is
DONE and done at once"
General Wheeler and Texas.-one
of Fighting Joe's'' old army comrades
shifted last evening as he read the story
that his friend was about to be assigned
to the command of the Department of
Texas. He said: Joe Wheeler made a
mistake in supposing that his Santiago
record, which has made him almost hero
in the eyes OF the people, would strike the
War Department or the Administration
pleasantly He should have taken the
hint when he was kept back on the trans
port of the harbor in order that :4awton
might have the first chance at the Span
iards When he got ashore, anyway, and
managed to strike the enemy before the
department fayorite with a days start
could get into action, he offended Alser and
others severely. and they have visited their
feeling upon him just as much as they
dare to- He wanted to go to the Philip
pines where there is sore need OF Just
such commander They did not think
it quite safe to tell him to go to the
other place, SO they told him to so to
rsF