Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1898-10-07
PRpsiDkSr M.KlSLEY.s cosA1s-

The treatment OF tie soldiers in
the various army camps has excited a
storm OF indignation throughout the
country. This feeling is sn strong in
the Fast that it threatens to engult
the administration IN a perfect sea 81
obloquy. To Offset the Presi I. Mt
Mckinley has appointed a commits
sion tn investigate the conduct of the
wal and tix the responsibility Tor this
disgracefnl condition Of affairs. By
this he hopes to allay public indigna-
tion and save his rarity from over
wbelminV defeat at the polls in No
vemHer. What tIs commission Is
and what it is likely to do is told by
the New York Evening Post rs fol-
lowe:
%rhe are n good many things that
rIisht be said ahout the committee
OF voluut' ers which the President il
getting together TO Investigate the
conduct Of the war; but probably
what strikes people most is the { CT
that all the best men asked to serve
.efuse. The committee has Nc real
power; it cannot make anybody test
lily, or protect him after he has testi.
fled; it has no way OF compelling the
production OF papers. In the present
condition nf the public temper, poss-
IDLY even an imp0t"nt commission
| could find ont something II It were
headed by such men rs General
| Schotie!h. General Weld Of Massa-
| chuseits. aud Mr.. Charles Stewart
| Smith OF this city, mud surprising it
to he understood that the truth were
really desired by the Administ alton.
when you inve iiSafe !onrself
yuu usually take all the precautions
possible to make the investig ition
Fnrn ont u success; n of the most
obvious ways Is TO deter witnesses
who are known to have important adj
verse testimony to gave from coming
forward. This accounts for the talk
about removing or r-tiring General
Miles. L. is a threat. wherever it
romes from, to prevent bis testiryinS.
H. Is the chief witness for the prose.
ru.ion, and his testimony ha- been
virtually given IN the public, SO that
we know what he would say. lie is
at once warned no' to appear. 1t
must be remembered that the dam
geruus Witnesses, the experts, the
men who know what IA camp Is. and
what war is, aud what is the duty OF
those who have sol liers' lives in
their charge, are almost all il, the
regular army. These, from General
Miles down, are the dangerous WIT
uosses. What a raw recruit, or Ollie
er. testities about army mismauagc-
ment is easily met b. the reply thai
the hardships and suffering 81 winch
he complains are nothing more than
the usual incidents OF army life. No
on can prove ;he truth 81 the charges
hut professional military men. the
future Of every one ~ whom is great
ly dependent on tile favor OF those to
whom an eXculpatInu is essential.
J -Under these circumstances. We
, might expect the result o. the Presi-
denis efforts Ia get together II board
OF honor. to be exactly what we seq
the refusal to serve oi those whose
service would alone give the inqu ~
character, and acceptance by those
who will give it none There is
hardly n ~ them who is worth his
salt for such u purpose, and the one
or Two who are, are certainly not to
he congratulated on their position;
for the n practical effect that the
whole bu-incss seems likely to have
is to damage the IL puIation OF all
~ho have anything to DO with it. 1t
deepens the IN! stery which surrounds
the Presidents mind and ch Iracter
and which is explained by his ad-
mirers and heuchmcn as due to
-statesmanship.