Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1898-05-13
NO TIME FOR COURTESY.

eral other prominent silver men call
ed at the White House and asked the
president to give William J. Bryan a
commission in the Army rs a matter
Of courtesy to that gentleman and
the Silver men OF the United States.
The President refused to accede to
their request saying he had already
appointed General Lee, a Gold DEM
acrut, and General Wheeler, a silver
Democrat, to positions in the army,
and would not commission a man
who did not have a military train
ing.
rAbraham Lincoln was made OF
different mnterinl than the present
occupant O. the White House. Pol.
itics did not enter into ~Iincoln'e cal.
culauons when he wanted men to
preserve the Union. He Commits.
stoned John A. Logan, b. +. Fuller
and many others who differed from
him politically, from civil life and
they distinguished themselves in
various ways and on many occasions
during the war.
"But Bryan is a big enough mau
whether he serves his country as a
soldier in the field or a statesman in
the councils OF the Nation. whether
Mckinley recognizes him or not"
-Carson Appeal.
SIC In refusing to appoint Mr.. Bryan
to a command in the army, President
Mckinley has shown his good sense.
Mr.. Bryan has ne military education
whatever 80 far as We know and is no
more fit to hold a commission in the
army in the present crisis than mil.
lions OF others whose failure to re-
ceive a command would excite no
comment.
II President Mckinley should pass
over all the veterans who won their
spnrs in the Union mud Confederate
armies and appoint men to high COM
mands in the army whose only recon-
mendations are that they are Silver,
Democratic, Republican or Populist
leaders he would deserve the unstiDt.
ed condemnation OF the American
people.
The history Of the civil wal is full
OF instances where political leaders
were given important commands in
the Union army over the trained
soldiers Of the regular army and dis
aster resulted to the Union cause.
The result was to more thickly dot
the South with graves of Union SOL
diers. There they remain as a mon
umcnt to the folly OF placing poll
ticians without a military training in
important commands in time OF war.
The President has the flower OF the
Union and Confederate armies at his
command from which to select the
commanders OF our armies in this
crisis. These men should command
the boys who go forth to uphold the
honor and dignity Of the nation and
not some politician whose only claim
to n command is that he is a lender OF
one or the other OF the political
parties into which the people are now
divided.
The ISDEPEHDENT would not de-
tract one iota from tho luster that
surrounds the name OF Bryan. Its
pen and its purse supported him in
the last campaign and should he
again lead the silver forces in 1900 it
will DO found battling for him. But
in its judgment there is a vast differ
ence between Mr.. Bryan as a states
man and Mr.. Bryan M a commander
OF u armies in time Of war.
The INDEPENDENT cannot resist
the Impression that President Me-
Kinley in refusing TO give Mr.. Bryan
an important command had the best
interests Of the country at heart and
did his duty to the gallant men who
are barring their breasts to Spanish |
lead, to uphold the honor and glory
OF u flag. His action will commend
itself to the American people and es.
peoially to those who bear the heat
and the burden OF the conflict. They
are entitled to and should have men
skilled in the art OF wal hs their lead. |
ers. Any other policy will surely 70.
suit in disaster to our arms and dot
Spanish soil with the graves OF our
gallant dead.
This ID no time to show courtesy To
political leaders at the expense Of the
men who arc fighting tho battles.
Fling courtesy to tho winds md place
none but trained soldiers in command
OF our armics I'm time NJ wnr.