The age-herald., 1902-02-24
Washington Day by Day


 tarily undertook an act of daring so great that it amounted to absolute reclklessness -a refusal to take reckoning of the al- most certain death he defed. His deed at Santiago was one of the most extraor- dinary occurrences in the history of mod ern warfare, and being such 1t thrilled | the world
 But as the sinking of the Merrimac was most extraordinary in war, so would the passage of a special act retiring Hobson be most extraordinary in the national legislation of peace.
 The Presidents almost unprecedented recommendation to Congress in Hobsons behalf came as a great surprise, and therefore the honor that he has officially shown to the Alabaman Is all the greater by contrast; but the impression deepens daily that the Presidents wishes will not be complied with. Private information from inside the Senate is in effect that | the proposition is for the moment very nearly hopelessl though of course there may be radical change of opinion on l the part of Senators.
 -"The Senate is as cold as ice" is the l who is most certainly in a position to know something of the Senatorial mind regarding controversional issues, and the observation was answer to direct ques- ton regarding the chances of Sentor Gall fingers Hobson-retrement bill introduced by official request of the President. That information, having expressed his | opinion, proceeded to refer to the stormy 1 course of the bill which President McKin- l ley caused to be introduced for the re- tirement of the veteran General Joseph Wheeler. with the rank and pay of re- tired brigadier of the regular army. That bill passed the Senate by majority of one vote, and that was accidental. A delay of one more day in reaching vote would have defeated the measure my informant declares, and he ought to know, seeing that he spent the last three days during which the measure was pend- ing in effectively lobbying for General | Wheeler" as he himself declares. Though supported by the active and unequalled personal influence of Presi- 1 dent Mckinley, the Wheeler bill, which was provided for the retirement of two other famous men, seemed up to the last moment to be doomed to defeat; but cer- 1 tain hostile Senators were induced not to further fight it, and 1t was hurried to vote one day in advance of the moment when 1t was known beyond all question that 1t would have been rejected, for a number of absent Senators were hurrying to their places for the avowed purpose of voting mo-.
 In point of fact General Wheeler was placed on the retired list through the | generous yielding of one of the oldest of the Democratic Senator's himself a noted Confederate General. He was re- solutely opposed on principle to the bill recommended by the President but in the end he yielded to the importunities of some of his colleagues and consented not to fight the bill in the Senate. That unquestionably saved the bill. for it would have been the simplest of tasks for the Senator in question to delay the final vote one day.
 These facts are understood to have been never heretofore published. And lest there might be some misunderstanding in | Alabama, it Is needful to say that the 1 Senator referred to as opposing General Wheelers retirement was not either of the Senators for Alabama, both of whom were Confederate generals; yet he is a man of great prestige in the Senate and is held in high honot by the Democratic 1 party of the country The source of all the information here given makes it imperative that the Senator's name be | rri1y io hot of in considering the chances of the Hobson bill "a
 General Wheeler is a West Pointer and an old man of wide fame won in two wars and he enjoys more influence in the Re- publican party than any other southerner has ever enjoyed. Hobson is a very young man, though of great and just fame; but it is believed that he does not enjoy the good will of Longism Crowninshiedism which continues to be all-powerful. While it Is tentatively given out that the abom- inable and disgraceful navy department ring is willing for Hobson to be retired. and the President himself has requested his retirement it remains true that Hob sons wishes in that particular appear to be far from realization. No man who is not of that ring can for a moment trust it in any degree; and President Roose- welt is personally not powerful in Con- gross, his sole strength lying in his high office alone.
 Hobson protests that the condition of his eyes units him for further service in the navy, and President Roosevelt agrees with him. The naval board of medical examiners takes a contrary view.
 In its utter futility and almost boyish assurance, President Roosevelt's singular attempt to dispose at once of the Schley case reminds one of the ancient Kings effort of words to restrain the flowing tide of the sea- The President by mere words seeks to stay the tide of public resent ment against the corrupt ring in the navy department which would degrade and de- stroy Schley, and every other naval of- ficer who has the manhood to refuse to crook the hinges of the knee and kiss the boot of the most outrageous bureau- racy from whose villainies this country has suffered. The President is mistaken. His words are unsatisfying to every one except the captains who, according to his novel contention, won the naval battle of Santiago.
 Even the bombastic Sampson. with his