The times., 1898-06-06
Rev. Alex. Kent Arraigrs The
Authorities for IRcOmpetency.
SP. ClFlC CASES ALLEGED
CesspCols BreadinE Disease I'm the
CamP-An Official Charged With
Selling Soldiers Ratfons aud
PocIo ting the Proceeds - InefH-
cheney In High Places.

Rev Alexander Kent, pastor Of the Peo-
pies Church, in the Typographical Tenn
pie, yesterday. In the course of his talk
Dr. Kent said
4 am 10 speak this morning on Our Du-
( ~ to the Soldiers and by duty / mean
the duty Of the whole people on whose
business these soldiers are sent, and whose
desires and purposes they are seeking to
acc -mDiish. 1t seems almost impossible for
most men to free themselves from that
old conception OF government which makes
II something separate and apart from the
peOple-something which has no root in
! their viii. and is not primarily intended to
serve their interests power and author
ity exercised over them and exercised
chiefly in the interests of their extraneous
governing body.
I'VE are all prone TO forget that. in the
ory. at least we are a self-governed peo-
PIE. We recognize no power of direction
or control that is not Of our own creation
and the instrument of our will. We do
I not pat men in Office for the purpose of
conferring honors or dignities on them.
We honor them with the office because
we believe them 10 be specially fitted and
that they will honorably and worthily dis
charge its duties. Their business is our
business They have no other. and when
in the discharge of their official duties
they make treaty of peace or a declara-
ton OF war they are acting for US and as
our agents
IN the multiplicity of duties which are
. involved in the organization of an army
and irE =.
bic TO guard altogether against incom-
potency on the one hand and rascality
on the other. Mistakes are unavoidable.
But all the more should the people realize
the necessity Of guarding the men who
have voluntarily stepped forth at their
country call in this hour of her need.
against any of the wrongs which incom-
potency or dishonesty may inflict
In the first place. let me say, we owe
these men a decent and healthful camp
ing ground where they may live under
proper sanitary conditions while acquir-
ing the discipline and drill essential TO eff
1ectiVe service in the field Health is the
hrst condition Of usefulness in a soldier
without reasonable measure OF it he
Is practically useless and when IL is alto
gether wanting he becomes hindrance
and incumbrance. A suitable camping
ground is an Indispensable condition of
health. 1t Is also a condition which has
been inexcusably and shamefully disre-
garded in at least two of the principal
camping grounds where our soldiers are
gathered today.
i do not know who Is responsible for
the selection Of the site of Camp AIger.
but If we may attach any value to hu-
man testimony. he must have been sinr-l-
larly untitled for the duty to which he
was ass igned. 1t maE have been nothing
more than ignorance on his part but the
assignment Of ignorance TO such q task
ought to cost the assigner his office To
place thousands OF men in a climate such
as ours, in region destitute of running
streams, where even drinking water could
not be had save as wells were dug or driv-
en- by the soldiers, is a blUnder that is
worse than criminal.
For weeks many OF these men have
not been able TO get sufficient water TO
siake their thirst. and bathing or even
adequate washing. has been out OF the
question. A large number are now i'll.
and conditions prevail which, if not
speedily changed, viii almost certainly
breed an epidenBs more fatal than the
enemy's bullets There is no possible ex-
cuse for mismanagement of this sort.
We have tens Of thousands Of men who
have the knowledge and experience nee
essary TO the selection OF suitable site
and in a country as well supplied with
water as this, to pitch upon such desert
as Camp Alger, is wholly inexcusable
inexperienced Officers.
IN the second place. we owe these men
intelligent direction and supervision in
the establishment and conduct of camp
life. Most of the officers and surgeons
OF the regiments are comparatively young
and inexperienced, and need supervision
in sanitary matters quite as much as
their men.
a physician who visited the camp a
few days ago said that in a camp of the
regiment which he visited the cesspools
into which the garbage and slops from
the tents were thrown were full and over
flowing: that this foul decaying matter
was there rotting on the ground and
poisoning all the air about with it's of
fenSive and death-brceding odOrs. When
he returned to call the attention of the
colonel to the matter, and explained 10
him the danger TO which this was ex-
posing the whole camp, he frankly con-
fessed that he had never tho-ght of it.
He thought that all such matters be-
longed to the doctor and he had never
concerned himself about them. But the
doctor was young and inexperienced and
had overlooked 1t too, and so the whole
camp NdS ellBdSe>l III preparing the con-
ditions for a general epidemic OF typhoid
fever for want of intelligent sanitary su-
pervision.
We learn from the press that the
which have poured in upon
Alger have moved him to ap-
point a committee of investigation and |
inspection, and an intimation is given |
that it may result in the removal of the |
camp to some more suitable and better |
persons should have been Sc |
lected in the outset. They should have |
chosen the site of the camp, and made /
all necessary arrangements in advance, |
for securing conditions essential to the |
health and comfort of our soldiers.
BIBnts Their Patriotism
THE great majority of these men are
young, and many of them come from
homes where they have every comfort.
They DO not come with the expectation
Of finding all these comforts in camp, but
they naturally expect that the power
which has summoned them to this field |
Of preparation for active service has
made all needful provision for such wants
as concern the maintenance of health and
vigor. And when they find an utter alb
sence of provision for these wants; when
they find themselves destitute of the COM
monest necessities and decencies of camp
life, the edge of their patriotism is soon
dulled and blunted. And when this state
IF things is permitted to continue for days
and weeks, and the powers that be seem
Indifferent TO their complaints, they feel
more like fighting the men who are re-
sponsible for such conditions than they
10 like cheering for Old Glory.
THE real character of the nation-its
greatness and grandeur-if it has anv.