The evening times., 1898-10-18
Au Revoir to the Dodgers.

Inc secretary Oh w dr ndue Pc
culiar request for commission TO ex-
anime into the condition Of the War De-
partment during the war with Spain,
at a time when the public indignation
over the needless deaths among our
soldiers had reached its fiercest stage.
The duty of defending Secretary Alger
had not then been imposed on the Re
publican newspapers, fully two-thirds
of which condemned him and demanded
his retirement from office. The request
of the Secretary of War was, i'll Itself
abs-rd There was no pressing need
for an inquiry into the condition of his
| department according to his meaning
| of the phrase-for a statement as to its
purchases, contracts and charters.
Coming when 1t did, the public infer
red that his request related to the ap-
palling scandals that had caused SO
much excitement This inference was
strengthened by the instructions which
! the commissioner received from the
! President. Under the impression that
! the Alger Relief Commission intended
| to get at the facts as TO the undeniable
! incompetency and neglect that wreck
ed a magnificent army, that it would
place the responsibility and urge the
punishment of the offenders, sugges-
tions were made by the newspapers and
by individuals as to the proper wit
| nesses to be called. 1t is a fact that
the public misunderstanding was fos-
tered by the occasional reference to the
! scandals by the commission and by the
calling of a few selected witnesses who
were asked questions not in line with
the real intent of the inquiry.
1t became clear at last that without
! limiting its work severely TO the pur-
poses mentioned in Secretary Algers
request. the final aim of the commits
! siCn was to report on the vast amount
of work done by the department in or
der to give the impression that defects
1 might be due to overwork; and 10 touch
on the defects only as far as the testi-
] rlony of selected witnesses would favor
/ the department. Except where 1t was
necessary TO discredit a witness like
| Major Seaman. no one was called who
| would be likely 10 reveal unpleasant
facts. and even the selected witnesses
marks. The exclusion of the newspaper
men, the refusal TO examine General
Miles and the many officers who had
been quoted in condemnation Of the
War Department and the manner IN
which the examinations were conduct
ed. disillusioned the public. Since then
( there tas been only curiosity and moi
interest in the public attention to the
proceedings. 1t is natural that people
should want to know just how the
whitewashing report is TO be prepared:
but there is no hope for an hoDaS+
statement of the facts relating to
scandals.
Pha visit of the Commissioners TO the
various camps has no significance. II
is a part OF the play, but 1t can de-
ceiye no one. Not even in the remotest
village is there a voter who will cast
his ballot for Republican candidate
for Congress because the Adminisua-
ton is conducting an inquiry into the
murder of the sons of the people. TIE
commission might have managed better.
For the things for which we have criti-
cised and blamed it, we are now thank
ful, since they have exposed the fallacy
Of the popular conception of its aims.
Any committee really engaged in in
vestigating the horrors of Algerism
4 would be the center of an absorbing in
terest. Its members could not start on
tour of inspection with only porter
10 see them off. but their every step
would be followed by crowds of admir-
ing citizens. The mask is off and the
public is as nearly Indifferent as its
anger will allow.