The record-union., 1898-10-04
RECKLESS CRITICISM.
Some Plain Truths Very Forcibly
Set Forth

The New York "ODSerVer, organ OF
the Presbyterian Church, has the fol-
lowing very fair and able article cn
the reckless, even lying criticisms OF
the press on the conduct of that part
of the war which relates to camps, hos
pitfalls and the care of the sick and
wounded, of which the yellow journals
are trying to make political capital
Every fair-minded person should read
it, as it is not the argument of par
tisan but the sober reflection of a re-
liglous, non-partisan paper of the high
est rank The observer" says:
The country has gone from the ex-
treme of cOmplacency and compliment
to the extreme of complaint and de-
nunciation towards the Government
Newspapers, magazines, orators and
clergymen a month ago were sounding
the praises of the President and his
Cabinet, of the officers Of the army and
navy, and of the gallant men in each
To-day, little is heard but fault finding
with our rulers, jealousy and strife on
behalf of our military and naval he
roes, and maudlin sentiment or sick
ening pity for our soldiers. The Amer
lean people are acting like spoiled chill
dren, who are only tolerable while
everything suits their taste and tenn
per. The Government which was ap-
plauded for it's energy and wisdom, and
held up for the admiration of Europe
three months ago, has not been altered
in any Of its officers. The same men
who collected navy and mobilized a
volunteer army of three hundred thou
sand men are at the head of affairs
no
defeated Spain, on land and sea, and
closed a campaign unequaled in its re-
suits, are unchanged. But criticism and
disparagement Indignation and dis
trust are their only present reward for
labor and duty. Circumstances have
changed; sickness, hardships, toll and
death, the ordinary lot of the soldier
have come in place of bloodless victo-
ries and easy life in comfortable camps
and however bravely individuals may
have borne them, the nation has sue
cumbed. Only the voice of blame is
heard. Charges of corruption, incompe-
tency, ignorance, neglect, political IA
voritism, red tape, brutality, and worse
are made recklesSly against men who
have given skill and knowledge and
health, and all their energies, in a con-
test with forces Of climate and disease
which have never yet been success
fully attacked And most Of the critics
and writer's who have assailed the Gov
ernment are utterly ignorant of the
truth. Careful investigation has shown
that many of their complaints We're
ill-founded and their blame misplaced.
Such official documents as those of
Generals Boynton and Wheeler exhibit
in the true light the foolishness and ig-
norance of the critics. There is nothing
which requires less ability and knowl-
edge than fault finding.
1T is easy to ask why this was done,
and why that was left undone; and
from a safe distance to make paper
plans, and after the event to be wise
as serpents: it is a simple thing to re-
peat slander and gossip, to set UP
charges which will require labor and
time and cost to diSprove, and this is
the business in which a considerable
part of the American press and great
many thoughtless persons among the
American people have been engaged
recently. Men who love their country
are ashamed of such work: the soldiers
who have honored the flag by their
bravery and devotion have no sympa-
thy With it. They do not care to be
held up to ridicule as sick girls who
need jelly and tea, or to be made the
occasion for hysterica1 women to air
their crude absurdities about the man.
agement of armies. The camps in which
our soldiers have been and are living,
outside of Cuba, are in better sanitary
conditions that the majority of the
small towns of the country, the men in
them are better fed and cared for than
most of the factory operatives and