The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-07-21
FROM THE CAPITAL,
Our Correspondent Talks in
General About Wash
ington.
Communicated \
WASHINGTON, July II, 1899.


iation enough for Mr.. Mckinley.
Secretary Alger has actually had
the gall to demand of Mr.. Nc
Kinley that he make public a
statement denying that he would
like Ayers resignation. This is
what the boys call rubbing it
in on Mr.. Mckinley" but those
who think that Mr.. Mckinley
should have fired Alger when the
scandals of the war with Spain
first became public, instead of as
sisting in having him whitewaSh.
ed, are not inclined to sympathize
with his embarrassment at the
demand. And, there are quite a
number who are glad that the de.
mand has been made. Mr.. Nc
Kinley has, through close per.
sonal friends, allowed the public
to suppose that he was anxious
to have Alger resign, but wished
him to resign voluntarily. Now,
it is up to him, to say once for
all, whether he wishes Alger to
remain in his cabinet.
The law says very plainly SAYS
that in the absence of both the
Secretary and the Assistant Sec.
rotary of War. the General com.
handing the army shall be acting
Secretary of War. Alger and
his assistant have both been alb.
sent since Friday, and the result
was the absolute suspension of
all public business requiring the
signature or action of the Secre.
tary, although General Miles was
III bis office in the State. War
and Navy Department building
each day, prepared to perform
the duties OF Secretary of War.
Acknowledgement Corbin said
that General Miles was acting
Secretary of War, but as matter
of fact, from Friday until to.dav,
General Miles did not sign a sim
gle paper, as Acting Secretary.
although there must have been
hundreds relating to routine mat.
tiers, requiring the Secretarv,s
signature. 1t was another added
10 the many unnecessary Sights
put upon General Miles by Sec.
rotary Alger and the willing
tools with which he has surround,
ed himself in the War Depart.
ment. Although the law saws
that General Miles should have
been Acting Secretary of War
during those three days, Alger
assuming himself greater than
the law, said that there should
be no Secretary of War during
that period, regardless of cost or
inconvenience, and all business
held up to await his return.
SO many more or less promi.
nent Republicans have come to
Washington, of late with the
same story substantially about
Col. Bryan's loss of popularity
In the West, that it is practically
certain that these men are work
ing III concert, trying to prevent
Colonel Bryan from being renom.
mated for President, by the Dem.
ocrats. Whether they are doing
this under instructions from the
Republican leaders, or in the in.
terest OF the handful of Eastern
Democrats, who, although thew
cannot pledge a single electoral
vote, are also trying to prevent
Col Bryan's nomination, is not
entirely clear, but that they are
spreading the story with a pur-
pose is as clear as anything can
be-as clear as the falsity of the
story, for instance.
representative Lentz. of Ohio.
is in Washington upon important
legal business. He no longer re.
CARDS himself as candidate for
the Democratic gubernatoriaI
nomination, but frankly says he
would like to have the second
place on the Bryan ticket. and
adds that he has. received encour.
agement enough to cause him to
oelleve that he may receive the
nomination for Vice President.
Elk Senator Dubois says that if
the Republican platform comes
/ out squarely for the single gold
standard, as now seems likely. if
Will elect Bryan by Republican
votes; that he knows of thousands
VINO voted the Republican ticket
IN 1896, solely because of the
promise to bring about a wider
use for silver, who will under no
circumstances vote a gold stand.
ara ticket. Mr.. Dubois saws he
regards 1t as certain that the Re.
publican platform will contain az
Strong an antitrust plank as the
democratic platform, but thinks
the individual voter should have
no doubt as to which party will
really combat the trnsts NJ