The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-30
The Swish ofthe Whitewash
Brush.

The president told his investigating COM
mittee that he desired thorough investiga-
ZION OF the charges OF neglect, incompetency
and maladministration in the conduct of the
'
But he knows very well that a thorough
investigator by his commission is impoSsi-
oie Ihey have no power to summon wit
nesses, and those who voluntarily appear and
testify Will tell as much or as little as they
please.
me scheme Is a transparent campaign
dodge. The investigation will result in
nothing. 1t is doubtful if it will even serve
the partisan purpose for which 1t was instI-
tuted. 1t would be more profitable for the
president and his party to meet the Issue
squarely. The people are in no humor for
tooIery-St. Louis Post-DispatchI
President Mckinley has appointed a COM
mission for the investigation of the war de-
partment administration which will COM
mand the confidence of the country The
presidents instructions TO the commission
are as clear positive and sweeping as the
most truculent foe Of the war department
could demand.-Rochester Democrat
me American people, who contributed 80
laVlshIy or their blood and treasure to bring
the war with Spain to a speedy and glorious
Vermlnet1on, expect neither apology repara-
tton nor amendment from Mr.. AIger They
have taken heed of his course from the out
set or his official career, and expect inso.ence
and bombast from him instead of repentance
and reformation. But the regeneration of
the vicious system which has given such
vast powers for public mischief to Algerism
is another and more important matter.-PhiI-
adelphia Record.
Inc commission to investigate the conduct
OF the war has at last been completed and
has entered upon its duties. The president
has practically Instructed" 1t TO let no guilty
man escape Il put upon you no limit to
the scope of your investigation" he saws. at
invite the closest scrutiny. The records of
the war department and the assistance of
officers shall be at your call" The instruc-
lions close with the earnest wish that the
investigation shall be thorough and COM
plete" and that the report will AK the re-
sponsibility for any failure or fault by reason
or neglect, incompetency or maladministra-
ton, upon the officers and bureaus RESPONSE
BILE therefor. Boston Globe
President Mckinley has no doubt long
since repented of his determination to have
an investigation of the conduct Of the war
by the war department. The trouble he has
experienced in inducing representative men
to serve on the commission to conduct the
investigation was to have been expected, as it
was not to be thought of that men with a
political future to care for would desire to
burden themselves with so ungrateful a task
as that of investigating rottenness in the
war department.-New Orleans Picayune.
The Times said at the time of the appoint
ment of the peace commission that the coun-
try would have had greater confidence in it's
work had the president seen fit to give the
Democrats a larger representation upon it,
The same might be said in relation to the
commission appointed to investigate the war
department. In this case the need to dis
arm suspicion as to a whitewashing proceed
ing being especially great it would seem that
the president would have seen the fitness
of giving the opposite party from his own a
larger representation on the commission.
This would certainly have tended to assure
the country that the commission meant BUSH
ness and would certainly go to the bottom
Of the charges.-Buffalo Times.