The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-06
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SdMY 80 Sd8Ie
NJ. NJ. MURDOCH. Editor.
ROOSEVELT THE CITIZEN.

ROOSEVELT THE CITIZEN.
Emphatically no American loses his
individual independence by joining the
the army. We are civic first. There
will never be, in the future, unless It
is at the final dissolution of the gov
eminent, a military side to America
that is not incidental and momenrary.
Our humble5t volunteer recognizes
the word Of his superior so far as it ap-
pertains to discipline and good order.
Beyond that he is in immediate rebel
lion.
Roosevelt was eminently correct in
his protest to this government against
the further retention Of our suffering
troops at Santiago. He, having taken
the lead, the other generals signed a
round robin" setting forth to the gov
eminent that an actual sick list would
be a roster Of the whole army about
Santiago. 1t brought out an immediate
response from Washington. The army
Will be removed to Long Island at
once.
The assurance Of our superiority in
sanitary matters in preventing conta-
gion among our troops in Cuba was Hi
founded. Our men are down. The
army is without health and without
spirit. Had not Santiago been cap
cured when it was, it would not have
been taken today, and the campaign
would have been a fiasco.
The blame for not moving most Of
the troops away from there Immediate
ly after the capture IS hard to place
if there is blame. The question now
turns on how many men were neces-
sary to keep down an outbreak in the
disarmed Spanish army. If only a few
men were necessary, then it was the
duty, the omission Of which is almost
q crime, it was a duty 10 send the
troops back to this country immediate
ly and to a point where yellow fever
could not exist, or extend at least.
The blame may have been Skaters.
He mas shown himself to be strictly
military. His capture Of Santiago,
which had become a pivotal point in
the war and was absolutely necessary,
was accomplished by sheer force of
military strength. He can not be blam- |
ed for his campaign against that city. |
With yellow fever threatening he had |
that thing to do. He did it. But his |
careless dispatch of unfit transports |
with sick to New York was a blunder, |
and a bad one. 1t showed lack Of in !
terest and feeling for the sick and |
wounded men. It was an act typical |
OF a man imbued with militarism and |
having no civic regard for the individ-
ual at all.
The same military spirit is shown in
Shafter by RooseveIt's taking the ini-
tiative in protesting against the contin-
uance OF a mistake. 1t was Skaters
business to take the first step in this
matter. That he failed to do so can be
it unbecoming an officer to "squeal."
But Shafter and all other military
gentlemen Of the United States should |
understand, and understand quickly
and well, that an American citizen is
Just as much citizen when he Shout
ders a gun as when he is casting vote
for president. He is to be just as care
fully respected and protected in uni
form as out of it. His right TO COM
plant is just as sure in the army as
put of it. The age of military bull
headed and harsh and unnecessary dis
cipline is as much out of place in
America today as the whipping post.
Man in Europe may still be a ma
chine to carry weapon in the interest
IF mis- nations quarrel, but in America
he is human and his uniform does not
diminish his personal rights. Roose-
5elt did right in making his complaint
and the American people admire him
.or it