Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-08-04
A Notable Retl,.msrt.

A Notable Retlrsmsnt.
General Russell A. Alger Of Michi-
gan has signiaed hts Intention OF retir-
Ing from the United States senate at
the END of his present term, giving bad
health us Ne reason. His action re-
moves from the public stage a man
who has been as bitterly assailed and
as warmly defended as any high OH
cial In the last score Of years.. His
military record was matter Of acri-
monious controversy for long time.
His candidacy for the Republican presi-
Dental nomination In 1888 left much
heartburning, especially in the breast
OF John Sherman, who set forth his
resentment In his book and who sub
sequently was his colleague In Nc
Kinleys cabinet. AS secretary Of war
General Alger was made the scape-
goat for the sins of the war depart
ment IN the Spanish war. Taken all In
all, 1t may well be questioned whether
General Ayers ambitions for high sta
ton has increased his happiness.
His voluntary retirement from the
senate leaves the field open to lot
Of brilliant youngsters, chief Of whom
Is William Alden Smith, who now rep
resents the Grand Rapids district in
congress. He Is q hummer and will
make redhot fight.
Trouble Brewing.
Colonel Roosevelt carried Ohio last
year by more than quarter of mil
lion majority. Now the Republican
leaders are talking about a majority Of
only 10000 or 10000 for Herrick, while
the Democrats are talking about elect
ing their candidate for governor. How
have the mighty fallenl What's the
matter with the Buckeyes? Dick, Cox,
Herrick and Forakcr-they are what's
the matter. The rank and file did not
want Herrick renominated, neither did
Foraker, but Dick, Cox and Herrick
forced Herrick's denomination, and
there's revolt all along the line. That
trio who are trying to WELD Mark
Hanna's excalibar openly snubbed For
aker at the state convention month
or two ago, and the very old deuce Is
to pay among the faithful. Hanna did
not love Joseph Benson any more than
do Dick, Herrick and Cox, but he had
too much sense to insult me In such a
public manner. The end is not yet
Dick, Cox and Herrick are relying on
Foraker's presidential ambition to lead
him into making strenuous fight for
| the state ticket, but he may conclude
that the easiest way to promote his
!, presidential chances is to sulk In his
tent la Achilles before Troy and to
/ permit that trio to receive q sound
thrashing. Far stranger things have
happened. Foraker Is very human.
Candidates for governor Of Alabama
are being groomed on a strange theory,
and that is that the governor who is
elected in 1905 for a four year term
will most likely have the appointment
of one United States senator perhaps
OF two. The present incumbents, Cen
eral Pettus and General Morgan, will
be reelected without opposition, though
Morgan is eighty-one and Pettus eighty
three. Consequently the senatorial as
pirants believe that one or the other
perhaps both-will die before his term
Is QUIT hence every man who wants to
60 to the senate Is grooming a candi-
date Tor governor who he thinks VIII
appoint him In the event Of a vacancy,
The chances are that both Pettus and
Morgan will still be IN the senate. hale
and hearty, when the 1905 governor Of
Alabama shall have finished his four
year term and retired to private life.
President Roosevelt is anxious for
his dear Mr.. Moody to do all sorts
of things to Holmes for tampering
with and prematurely revealing the
cotton statistics, but If his dear Mr..
Moody" does no better in prosecuting
Holmes than he did in prosecuting ex-
Secretary of the Navy Paul Morton,
Holmes is safe s-as a bug in q rug
One Of my most brilliant constituents.
the late Nat G. Dryden. was won't to
say, "a bird In the hand is the noblest
| work Of Cod" So 1t may be said,
and truly, that one rascally official in
the pen would do more to purify the
public service than scores Of letters
lambasting them in words merely.
Mr.. District Attorney William Tray
ers Jerome has a golden opportunity
to achieve a notably good work by
| sending to the penitentiary the emf
nent scoundrels who have been rob-
bing the Equitable policy holders. Has
he the nerve? Mons yerrons.
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