New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-03
AMUSING SHOW OF IGNORA NOE
WHAT SOME CONGRESSMAN DON'T KNOW
ABOUT A SOLDIERS LIFE
Mr. FITZGERALD AND ''rwO-CHAIR" GAINES SET
THE HOUSE IN ROAR
[BI TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUNE.l

THB HOUSE IN ROAR
[Br TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBuNE.l
Washington June Am irrelevant debate In the
House Of Representatives to-day while the Urgent
Deficiency bill under consideration, gave one
youthful Democratic statesman opportunity FOR
amusing display OF ignorance in regard 10 the
requirements OF military life when troops are In the
field and for a comic exhibition Of demagogy by
another Democratic statesman. who richly earned
tho ridicule which beaped upon him by men,
bers Of his party we'll az by the Hepuoli-
cans II seemed 10 everybody else except these two
critics and Mr.. Johnson OF North Dakota, that II
somewhat too soon to cr1tic!se the conduct OF
the war The criticisms OF Mr.. Fitzgerald were mild
and noffenslve. well az amusing. and seemed
10 be inspired by keen regard for the physical
comfort and wellbeing Of the soldier-especiaIy OF
his digestive organs.
Complaints had come to his ears. he said. that
the standard OF cooking in Camp Alger was not
what IT ought TO be. and he desired to know
whether the pending bill provided for the employ
mcnt of skilled cooks 10 prepare the soldiers ra-
lions He did elaborate his ideas as TO what
ought TO be done, but he apparently thought that
at least one chef should be provided for each reg
ment. together with n sufficient number OF profess
sional cooks for the respective companies his re-
marks excited the risibilities OF members or the
House who served in the Army on either side In
the Civi War and remembered how often the
ground Of complaint was not the cooking but tne
want Of something 10 cook
But General Grosvenor replied in serious vein
and deprecated the bringing 10 the attention OF the
House OF trivial and frivolous complaints which
might excite undue anxiety throughout the coun-
try regarding the welfare NJ the soldiers who are
just taking the field and who naturally and inev-
itahy find conditions different from those az home
Soldiers must learn 10 do many things to which
they had not been used. Of which was 20 do
their cooking The volunteers Of 1861. he SAID,
quickly learned 10 do that. and In short time
vera able 10 prepare good and wholesome meals
as could be obtained in most hotels The ration
now II better than supplied TO the troops then.
and the troops have camp cooklngsoves and uten-
sill. which are sufficient for all their needs. The
only Just ground Of complaint NJ Camp Ager. ne
believed after personal investigation and inquiry.
was the lack OF pure water. which, he hoped. would
be rerneded
Mr. livingston Of Georgia who served In the
Confederate Army and ia n member OF the Appro-
pristions Committee. derided Mr.. Ftzseralds COM
plalnt. and suggestions The officers ~ tho COM
mssary and quartcrmasters departments had been
working night and day md Sundays ever since war
was declared 70 provide for the troops called INTO
service Everything needfu for the soldiers comfort
was being supplied rapidly as possible "Ot
course" hc added ~ Is not expected that tho
C;overnnent VIII furnish the soldiers IN tho held
with French cooks and ha'htuhs and backing
boxes and brushes That would he simply nonsen-
steal"
After Chairman Cannon ~ the Appropriations
Committee had offered few sensible observations
on Mr. Firzgerald's suggestions and hrfeny de-
Tended tho officers who sfrainng every nerve
IN accomplish IN sixty days what those % no other
country could 40 IN many vc"ks. under Ike
circumstances hc Welded 10 Mr. Johnson. Of North
Dakota who bursting 20 air grievance on
account n, a shor, delay IN furnishing The two
cavalry t-ror~ raised IN that State with uniforms
and tents He seemed TO feel that there had been
rros. negligence NJ duty somewhere on 'hi. ao-
count
pu, ~. storm raised bv Mr. Johrscn was sum
-,.r zephyr compared with what was 70 follow
Two Chair Gaines. whom chairman Cannon hap
rily cnl"d fhe Tennessee CYCLONE. obtained the
aoor md turned himself loose" 70 use Texas
.rnreasion He denounced the War Department
because a- h- asserted Tennessee producers md
manufacturers had not obtained any Army CON
tracts hut h. could not or would no' assert tha'
thy hsd onenea s lGr nm an ennessee was not
out for contracts but for spanards He did as
So, mar the Nashville millers could furnish -four
20 tho Army better and more chcaply than ANYBODY
>ae bat could not explain why they had NOT zone
80 ss,s e1s'P' by saying '''' ''ey "'' ''' ''''
This seemed strange in view Of tn" fact that both
have advertised extensively for bids for all sorts OF
supplies and have secured the country East, vs.
North and South 10 md ouf wher~ ana wha' slnus
Of supplies for the Army could b" onainsn on d
short notice Mr. Gainess vehement tirace "ho't e
great laughter and much derislVe hPp.auts ~
both sides of the House. and u may possibly aii
him n denomination Tor onsrcss, uul II
vii n, likely 10 lower him IN the estimation or N"
wldo-nwake business men Of his district whom ne
,nforen,iaiv accuses 81 lack ~ business energy
earacitv and foresight. ,
~ course the Deficiency bill was unanimously
n,eead without amendment II carries III $40 80
Tor ARMY and Navy expenses for the remainder OF
this month. and any balance remaining on naIu
IuIy is 10 bc available until expended In explain
Inc tho biz Chairman Cannon remarked thh me
var appropria,iors ~ this session-covering me
noriod and expenses Of preparation and pioVldlng
Tor the expenses until January 1899 would
amount to at least $3.50 900 and IN reply 10
question bv Mr. Dngley he said that the war ex-
nenses 81 the year ending June 80 lsss unless me
war should sooner end would probably amount 10
,nore rather than less. than S6H"n'rD
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