The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-09-30
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., September 2Gth.

WASHINGTON, d. c., September Goth
Mr. EDIToR:-Why should the investi-
CATION of the War Department be made a
star chamber affair? That is the question
asked on every side since it was an
nounced that Mr. McKinley's commission
would, until further notice, conduct the
investigation behind the locked doors of a
room in the War Department. Secret in
vestigations have never been popular with
the American people This was recog
nized by those who stated that these doors
would be closed, "until further notice
1t is expected that public opinion will de-
mand that those doors be thrown open,
and the testimony in this investigation be
publicly taken, and that expectation will
almost certainly be realized. Let the
Commission make its consideration OF the
testimony as secret as its members may de-
sire, but let the testimony be taken in pub
lie. Otherwise, the public will put the
whole affair down as farcical. 1t may be
only coincidence, but it is a significant
one that the chairman of Mr.. McKinley's
Commission is named Dodge,-Gen. G. NJ.
Dodge, of Iowa. The other members, Sc
cured after much trouble and many abso
Lutte refusals to serve, are, Col. j. A. Sex
ton, of Illinois; Capt. E. P. Howell, of
Georgia; Major-General J. NJ. Wilson, L.
S. A; Hon. c. A. DENLY, of Indiana; Ex-
Governor Woodbury., of Vermont; Ex-
Governor Beaver, of Pennsylvania; Gen.
A. D. McCook, of New York, and Dr. p.
S. Conner, of Ohio.
Giving officers honorable discharges who
have been openly accused by generals in
the army of incompetency and mismanage-
ment, is not good way to convince the
country that the War Department either
wishes to find the guilty or intends to pun
ish them when found A case in point is
that of Lieut. Col. Rush H. Huidekopcr,
the horse doctor who was Chief Surgeon
at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga Park, and
against whom many charges were made,
including one from Brigadier-G
made directly to Secretary Alger Instead
of having Huidekoper court martialed, so
that he could have been either vindicated
or convicted, orders were issued that his
resignation should be accepted and he be
given an honorable discharge. Mr. Nc
Kinley heard of that order and counter
manded it, and directed that Huidekoper
be ordered to Washington to testify before
the investigating commission. Mr. Nc
Kinley is finding out much more about
things than he knew before the talk about
investigation began; and it is believed that
he intends making it hot for some of the
guilty parties. In fact, his personal
friends are telling him that he must do SO
for representation.
Representative Cochran, of Missouri,
who is in w ashington trying to convince
the administration to order more Missouri
Volunteers mustered out of service, said
of the republicans asking endorsement of
cans will be fortunate, indeed, if they can
divert public attention from the bond issue,
the neglect and mismanagement which
has characterized the conduct of the au
thorities in actual charge of the prosecu-
ton of the war. How they can expect to
gain any advantage by raising war issues,
it is difficult to understand. The troops
in the field are composed of men of all
parties. They did their duty nobly, and
have added to the glory and reputation of
American arms, by deeds of unparalleled
heroism. So much for the sol 1iers in the
field. Now, if the authorities at Washing
ton can afford to 60 to the country for
appreciation of an administration, which
failed to provide our brave soldiers with
the rations, tents, medicines, and compe-
tent surgeons and attendants, during the
struggle, and hinge the result of the Fall
election upon this issue, the democrats can
afford to meet it. I think, however, that
the war will cut very little figure. Parties
will divide on old lines, and the issues of
1896 will be fought over again"
Much interest is felt in Washington i'll
that affidavit made by Teddy Roosevelt,
that he was not resident of New York,
but of Washington. 1t is not believed
that the making public of this affidavit by
the friends of Governor Black will pre-
vent Teddy getting the republi can noml-
nation for Governor of New York, but
"Teddy's" explanation of why he made 1t
will 60 long way towards helping the
democrats to defeat him afterward lie
says he made the affidavit under advice
from his lawyers, because he was assessed
for personal taxes both in New York and
in Washington, and did not wish to pay
double taxes. He escaped the payment OF
his personal taxes in New York by ming
that affidavit, and careful search Of the
tax book cf the District of Columbia
shows that he paid no personal taxes in
Washington. "Teddy's'' army record
shows that tax-dodger may make tip
top fighter, but the voters of New York
are likely to decide by large majority
that they do not approve of making tax
dodger governor of their state
Col. W. J. Bryan and Gov. Holconb, OF
Nebraska, received much attention from
prominent democrats during the several
days they were in Washington working in
the interest of Nebraska volunteers. Col.
Bryan could not publicly talk politics,
but he participated in some important
political conferences and freely gave his
opinion to his fellow democrats.
THE TERESA FLOATS.