The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-31

uation was so clear that no president
OF ordinary intelligence could have gone
wrong. Mr.. Mckinley emerges from
the war in an erfulgence OF reflected
glory. while Secretary Alger. his intel
lectual equal. is covered with disgrace.
Reverse their positions-suppose Alger
had been president and Mckinley sec
rotary OF war, h very same condl-
lions would have existed and Alger
would have been deifed. Mckinley
mathematical.
Alger excuses himself on the ground
that he did the best he could under the
circumstances. The consciousness that
he did the best he knew how affords
some consolation 10 a man who has
%blundered. but 1t Is wholly unsatisfac-
tory to those who have suffered by his
blunders. II AIger had 1t to do all over
again, would he do just what he did
do? He Will not dare pretend h
Ayers principal fault lay in his ina
biiity to comprehend the absolute neces-
slty Of an adequate and thorough or
g~anlzation of the commissary and med
ical departments. These rather than
the strategic movements Of the army
there were experts to look after that
should have been the chief objects Of
his concern; but he gave them prac-
tically no attention whatever unit. II
was too late. The Washington CORE
spondent OF the New York Herald has
been investigating the question OF food
supply. He got the figures from Com
mlssary General Eagan, and the amaz-
ing fact came to light that the com
missary department. which has charge
Of feeding an army OF $50, 200 men, is
| composed of only 22 regular officers.
Five OF these % men are on STATS ana
two are in Washington. One is old, an
| other is III and the third is In Manila.
This leaves ~ men of the regular es-
tablishment under orders from General
Eagan TO do the work of distributing
| Ill 900. 600 rations issued since the be
| ginning Of the war. Only one OF these
men was at Santiago-Commissary
Weston. He was assisted by Commits
sary Henry, who was a volunteer. Hen
ry was shot while in the fighting line
/ u~lSiTlbulllb Subpl4IS' III W. ''' 'h"'
under orders OF General Eagan.
After earnest representations eight
volunteer majors and IL volunteer cap
tains were added to the commissary
corps. They were under the orders OF
General Eagan. but in many cases they
we're so new to the work as not to be
able even to make out a requisition.
In addition every general oflcer of the
volunteer troops had a commissary on
his staff. but the commissary general
had no authority over these.
zone cannot shun the conclusion
says the Herald correspondent, that
here is where one Of the causes lay
for the improper distribution Of food
The blame for this belongs to the sec
rotary Of war, who should nave so pre-.
scented TO congress the possible exigen.
cies as not to have the commissary de.
partment dependent for the feeding o,
$50. 900 soldiers upon the management oi
10 regulars and 20 volunteers. Thus
the food-the part of Il that was un
~loaded-was thrown upon the beach
with only two men, under General Ea.
gan's orders. to receive it."
Secretary Alger Ia daily making tn
matter worse by attempting TO defend
himself. There is no defense, there car
be none. Alger IS a failure. He Nigh
better follow the example Of Arm
strong. secretary of war under Presi
dent Madison. Armstrong. having blum
dered all through the war Of 1872, knew
enough to resign.