The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-21

was present only clerk to sign papers and
preside over the routine.
It is difficult to imagine a condition of
affairs more grotsSQuely imbecile than this.
II ever the inspection bureau was needed, in
all its force and fervor, 1t was needed between
the LIST of June and the 1st Of August. There
were the established agencies through which
defects in camps and barracks could be
Identified, reported promptly 70 the secretary
of war. and so brought within reach of prompt
remedial action. There was the machinery
for discovering abuses and arresting the
plumbers and stupidties and tragic disasters
OF that memorable episode. There was no
machinery to replace it, In its obllteration
the war department lost, for the time, its
strongest and most useful arm. Nevertheless,
the country was RECALLED with the spectacle
OF a military establishment without an in
spectlon bureau at the very moment when
that bureau most urgently needed and
when the lack of it was most deplorable.
The Washington Post is not an or
gan that goes off half cooked. 1t usual
ly knows what it is talking about, be-
cause it is in a position to know. The
Baltimore American, a stanch Repub-
lican newspaper, also says:
Trained inspectors, such as they have in
the regular army, and such as they had un
der Gen. Breckenridge, woud make short
work of bad ratons, wretched hospita! &C
commodations and a dozen other things
which largely contributed to break down
one Of the finest volunteer armies ever rails d.
There were inspectors, OF cOurse-staff orna-
menus, men appointed from CIVIL Ire, WHO
had probably never seen regiment under
canvas and had never heard of field hos
ptal. They, doubtless, rendered good service
in other ways, If they had the chance, but
as inspectors they were useless a fifth
wheel to a wagon. The commission should
turn it's attention to this remarkable feature
OF the war departments management. 1t is
safe TO say that no such Dlunter has been
made during the century in the management
of an army of any enlightenad coun ry
Now, let us ask our esteemed cOntem-
poraries, are we all Tories who have
Ventured to invite an inquiry into these
matters? The G o b may be among
the least of these; but it is quite as
sincere, though possibly not so famil-
lar with the general principles of To-
ryism, as some who advance their sug
gestiOnS as to what becOmeth an
American newspaper in its dealings
with an administration whose princi-
pies are not fully understood or COM
pretended in their completeness, even
/ by those who stand close to the foun-
tain head
The issues of the campaign were very
clearly defined at the Mozart hall meet
ing Of the Democrats last night. Some
striking figures showing the eXtrava-
gance of the Republican local admin
istration were given by the chairman
Of the county committee, which tax
payers will do we'll to ponder. The
! hide-and-seek policy Of the Republic
en- leaders in dealing with state issues
was ably portrayed, as we'll as the ma
tional issues which distinguish a gov
eminent for the people from one which
has under Republican rule become per-
verified into government for the few.
The Democracy of Ramsey county has
OF its side the right of these questions
Of the day and deserves to win because
it Is right.