Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-08-29
FREELAND, Pa, AUGUST 30, 1898,


From the Philadelphia City and State.
The complete breakdown of the army
in Cuba, breakdown which, il is mani
fest from the facts presented in the
Roosevelt round robin, would, in spit
OF all its gallantry, have rendered il
utterly unfit to withstand the attack OF
an efficient enemy, was due not primari
ly to the Cuban climate although that,
OF course, played its part), but to bad
management in the war department.
This bad management is a well-known
and generally acknowledged fact, To
what is it due? Some persons have
sought, either through ignorance or for
sclf-intorest to conceal the real truth,
and have said that these mistakes were
inseparable from the haste with which
war was forced upon us, and that, OF
the whole, we have done fairly well
This is untrue. Even If the war had
been thrust upon us with greater haste
than we have had to contend with, an
efficiently organized war department,
and one conducted on sound principles
would have given us no such scandalous
failure as our Spanish war has publish
ed to the world
This war was not thrust upon the
army any quicker than upon the navy,
and yet the latter has been free from
ineiliciency of any sort The trouble
lies in the simple fact that the war de
partment has been conducted, not prm
arily for the benefit of the country and
strong army, but at the expense of
these objects and to advance private
interests. The policy upon which
Secretary Alger has used his great
powers is evidently that of making the
country and its soldiers stepping-stone.
to his own political preferment. This
is not the policy of Mr.. Alger alone; if
so, while many would have to weep for
its results, it would not be dangerous
for tho future.
1t is the policy Of school OF poltl-
clans, which is represented in every
nation on the globe, and by which
American politics is largely controlled.
1t is the policy which has eaten the
heart out OF Turkey, and under which
Spain has withered for three hundred
years. 1t is the policy which Cameron
Quay, Martin and Magee have practiced
during their public career, and which
is today feeding upon the vitality of
Pennsylvania, aud its great cities, Pitts
burg and Philadelphia.
A year ago some Of our prominent
citizens who are interested in reform.
unconscously perhaps, adopted the
samo policy and helped to strengthen
Secretary Alger in it. They used their
influence in order to placate Quay, "a
though they were politically opposed to
him, by persuadng the authorities to
have his son, Lieutenant Quay, ad-
yanccd over the heads of officers who
should have taken precedence of him,
TO the position Of captain and quarter
master in the army. This advancement
was made not for merit, which is n
sound principle, but to gain political
end, which is an unsound one.
This is precisely Secretary Alger's
fault. 1t is Algerism, Quayism, Martin
ism-as you please to call it. The diff
ference between what these gentlemen
did, and in which they see no wrong.
and what Secretary Alger has done,
whereby hundreds were buried in Cuba
and thousands returned in broken health
to their homes, is difference of degree,
not Of kind.
The efficient remedy is to be found
not in one fierce transitory burst of
wrath at Secretary Alger for what he
has done, but in systematic demand
that the spoils system be destroyed
This can only be done by noting each
violation of the merit system and punish
ing the man who is guilty of it. We
shall have no relief from this corruption
OF self-interest corroding the public
welfare until a body of men be found in
the country who will always act on the
counter principle sufficiently large to
hold the balance OF power