The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-03

The War and the Republican Party
The question as to whether the Repub-
lican party will get a great deal of po-
litical strength out of the war is being
very generally discussed. When the war
began there did not seem to be any doubt
in the minds of the politicians that il
it were highly successful that party
would be benefited to such an extent
that it would stand an excellent chance
of electing the next President Now, how
ever, there as grave doubt in the minds
of some. of the shrewdest of the Demo-
cratic leaders as to whether the war is
going to help it in the least.
What is the cause of the doubts? Clear
ly it is the scandal which has cropped
out in connection with the management
of the war department. The Republican
papers are now engaged-at least those
of them which are regarded as admins
tration organism trying to show that
the war department has done it's full!
duty and that certain army officers are
responsible for whatever mistakes have
been made. The claim is put forth that
it was not in the power of the war de-
partment under the circumstances, to
avoid these mistakes.
There may be something in this claim.
Whether there is or not can only be de-
termined by a thorough investigation. The
President is quoted as saying that there
will be a complete investigation, an inves-
tigation of which the public will have
no cause to complain. On the other hand,
the Secretary of War appears to be averse
TO an investigation, his reason being that
there is no ground for one. That is the
main nolnt at issue. If there is no ground
for one an investigation would disclose
that fact. 1t may be that the secretary
has not done anything, or left undone
anything, for which the people would hold
him responsible when all the facts are
known, but they want to know the facts
and form their own conclusion in respect
to them.
They want to know, for one thing, why
Gen. Shafter was put in command of the
Santiago expedition instead of Gen. Miles.
They also want to know whether there
were many men from civil life appointed
to responsible positions for political rea-
sons, ana whether these appointees were
wholly or partly responsible for the lack
of food medicines, cots. hospital supplies.
doctors and nurses from which our sol
dlers suffered at Santiago. They want to
know if these political appointees were
responsible for crowding the transports
beyond their capacity with sick soldiers.
and for the neglect which the soldiers
on these transports suffered. They want
to know why typhoid fever was permitted
to get such a strong foothold in the diff
ferent camps-a fever from which hun
dreds Of soldiers have died.
The impression is strong throughout the
country that there has been a great deal
of carelessness. negligence and incompe-
tency, particularly in the medical, com
missary ana quartermaster departments
of the army and that owing to these
conditions in these departments the lives
Of many soldiers have been needlessly sac
rifced.
The Secretary of War ought to be anx-
ious for an investigation, especially IL he
feels that the war department has been
as efficiently managed as was possible I'M
der the circumstances. The people are
not disposed to be unjust. They only want
the truth, ana if the administration is
wise 1t will see TO it that they get it.
The Republican party will get no poiu-
cal benefit from the war unless il shows
that its management of the war entities
it to the confidence of the people