The times., 1898-09-11
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER II, 1898.
The President Takes "A Hand.

III is what might be called an amia-
BILE weakness on the part of President
Mckinley that it is almost impossible
to make him believe that a man he has
once fully trusted is not pretty nearly
the ''chiefest among ten thousand and
the one altogether lovely" but when
once His Excellency is aroused to con-
viction that he has been done and
manufactured into a sacred spectacle
he no longer represents patience on a
monument smiling at Alger, but fierce
and vengeful red Indian six inches deep
in war paint.
1t developed yesterday that the Presi-
dent had reluctantly reached conclu-
sion which was that the rottenness
once mentioned in connection with
Denmark was innocuous and antiseptic
compared with the decomposition no
ticeable around the War Department.
Having arrived at this interesting
point of conviction, il was only natural
that Mr.. Mckinley should impart his
new view TO the trusted subordinates
who have shared with Secretary Alger
the labors of the war with Spain, and
who, hitherto, appear to have been in
doubt as to whether they. or any of
them, are blameworthy for feeding
fever-stricken troops on rancid pork
and musty beans. Probably. after a
conference at the White House yester-
day, in which Maj. Gen. Shafter. Adjt
Gen. Corbin. Quartermaster General
Ludington, Commissary General Eagan.
and Surgeon General Sternberg, par
ticipated, there was a larger stock of
knowledge, and the COMMANDMENT
Chief, while he may not have been
able TO solve the question to the entire
satisfaction of his auditors, was un-
questionably in a position TO assure
them that a most beautiful scandal
was brewing, and that it behooved
them TO roost high while the investi-
gators were around.
There is little doubt that what the
President had to say was very much
to the point and purpose, because the
general staff left the august presence
with a degree of paleness and earth
Quaky action of the knees indicative
Of a strong impression of some sort.
Perhaps il was q pleasant one.
Later in the day Mr.. Mckinley af-
forded additional evidence of his inter
est in a matter likely to cause trouble
at the polls in November, and he ad-
dressed telegraphic messages to a num-
ber of gentlemen of credit and renown,
asking them TO serve on a committee
to investigate the quartermaster's COM
missary, and medical offices of the War
Department, in connection with the
abuses charged against those agencies.
The citizens selected for service as a
coroner's jury in the premises were
Lieut.. Gen. Schofieid (retired); Gen.
John B. Gordon. of Georgia; Gen.
Grenville NJ. Dodge. of New York:
President d. c. Gilman, of Johns Hop
kins University; Gen. C. f Manderson,
of Nebraska; Hon. Robert T Lincoln,
of Illinois; Hon. D S. Lamont, of New
York; DR.. w. w. Keen, of Michigan
and Col James A Sexton, of Illinois
As the names have been made public
ii is fair presumption that the Presi-
dent is satisfied that all or nearly all
of the invites will serve.
One thing is certain! The committee
will be given the fullest authority to
proceed according TO such instructions
as the objects of the Administration
may suggest, and will be fully armed
for the purpose-but whether with
scalping knives or a bucket of white
wash remains to be seen.