The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-28
THEY DESERVE WELL AT THE
HANDS OF THE STATE.
POLITICAL APPOINTMENTS A CURSE
Many a Soldiers Life Has Been..Sacrifced 10
lnexperience and incompetence. The
Hospital Management Especially
Bad. Boys Anxious to be
Mustered Out.
lStaff Correspondence.l

The war with Spain is rich in lessons
to young and vigorous natlon ike tue
United States.
The first lesson to be learned is the ne
cessity for a standing army of respecta-
BILE proportions. With the growth of the
nation and the recent expansion of its
territory, one hundred thousand men
would hardly be too many.
Here also, is a lesson for the States OF
the Union, especially North Carolina.
Let her be more liberal with her State
guard in future, so that when called into
active service it will not have to wait
four months for proper equipment
The fact of our lack of preparation
for such a long period was of course
charged against the War Department, but
the fault, dear Brutus, was in ourselves.
1t lies primarily with the people and
their representatives in the Legislature
and in the Governors Mansion. The .un-
popularity of appropriations for the State
guard in North Carolina are proverbial
The military companies of the State find
it almost impossible to obtain a fair
hearing until riot breaks out and par
simony for a day yields to fear.
The people of North Carolina had no
reason to he proud of the condition in
which they sent their volunteers to the
front. Their mobilize appearance was by
no means creditable, especially when
contrasted with the troops from other
States. With one exception Virginia
North Cardinals regiment was the worst
equipped in Camp Cuba Libre, on its ar
rival there. Wisconsin's Governor did
not declare he would mot even pay the
price of telegram for the troops" He
sent his men there well equipped and
with State money in their pockets. The
New Jersey men were so well fitted out,
in point of equipment, that the day
they were mustered in they were pre-
pared to go to the front, and even up to
this time they have not had to call on
the general government for anything ex-
cept equipment for recruits.
They did not kicE-our boys. They
knew Colonel Armfield was doing all in
his power for them. They knew, too,
where to place the responsibility, and the
iron of ingratitude on the part of Gov
ernor Russell and the State administra-
ton sank deep down into their souls.
And it will be mighty bad day for the
Republican party when these men-both
the First and Second regiments-are
mustered out of the service and get back
to North Carolina to take a hand in her
politics.
Nor is this lack of preparation ard en-
enlargement the only crime incident to
this war, for which the Republican par
ty will have sooner or later to answer at
the polls. The people viii not soon for
get how our gallant boys from other
States were sent to Santiago TO oppose
their Springfield rifles to Spanish Maui
sers; how the volunteers were compelled
to advance fully half a mile under g.
deadly fire before they could reach a
position from which their rifles could
throw lead into the enrmy's lines. 1t
was during this advance before Santiago
that we suffered such fearful slaughter.
Leading just such a charge Lieutenant
Ship fell. Upon whose head will be his
blood and the blood of a thousand 9TH
ers like him?
Then after it was all over, and the
wounded were taken from the field-who
is responsible for the suffering and neg
lect they experienced? Any intelligent
person who read Skaters telegram ask
ing for forty surgeons and medical sup
Flies can answer. Why was the army
short on surgeons when there were doz-
ems of them hanging around camps in
might also be in order to inquire why
young contract surgeons, fresh from
civil life and medical schools were sent
to the front instead of experienced men.
OF all departments in the volunteer
service the medical department has been
the worst managed. Gross incompetence
has been exceeded only by the criminal
neglect on the part of many of the adj
ministration's appointees. Readers of
this paper are already familiar with
the mismanagement of the hospital at
Jacksonville. Politics has tainted the
whole system. Incompetent men are in
charge.
Sometime ago this paper told how the
officials i'll charge of the Division hOspi-
tai at Jacksonville had refused to al
low women nurses, but chose instead
absolutely inexperienced and too often
worthless men from the various regi-
ments. 1t went further and said that
this was wrong; that women made the
best nurses and that if they were en-
ployed the evils complained of at the
hospital would to a great extent be
remedied.
Since then General Lee has seen the
force of this argument, and this week
he has ordered fifty trained women
nurses to Jacksonville. In addition to
this an officer has been sent North to
enlist $50 trained women nurses from
the large Northern cities. Had this been
done at first and nincompoop political
surgeons left at home, the mortality at
Jacksonville would have been much
less.
There WILL | believe, be material in
the war records to damn the whole Re
publican party in the eyes of the people
The political jobbery that has come to
light, not only at Jacksonville, but at
Tampa, especially, and even in Santiago
has reached the proportions Of treason
Not only has cold and cunning thevery
been going on while the armies were
marshalling and the soldiers winning
honors for nation, but the generosity
of a people has been traded upon to pro-