The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1898-09-17
LIKE CAESARS WIFE.

It is a fortunate thing that we have
In public life some men possessed of SO
many virtues that in their own minds,
they are above reproach; that what
ever is said in criticism of their official
acts gives them no concern, and falls
off like water from a ducks back. We
have such one at the head of the war
department, and according to his way
of thinking, all that has been said con
lcerning the management of the war
department is merely idle talk to
snake political capital" He was in
Detroit the other day and when asked
: to make statement relative to the
I charges against the administration OF
the war department, Mr.. Alger re-
piled:
"Now what do you want me to do?
Get down in the sewer with the sem
sational people? They are not worry
ing me. There's nothing in the
charges excepting somebody's desire
to make political capital. The work
the department has had to do in so
short time has been very great
task, the commissory and quarter
masters department have had the dis
tribution of more than 900 tons of pro-
visions, rations and forage daily. part
OF which has inyolveG its transporta-
tion more than half around the world.
, 1t is not surprising that some few slips
have been made"
Our secretary of war is so perfect
and possesses so many virtues that he
can't get down in the '.sewer with SEN
sational people" and discuss matters
in which 10000, 900 people are just now
deeply interested. The denunciations
of the entire press of the nation. charg-
ing him with gross incompetency in
conducting the war department and
charging him with starving our brave
soldiers, 'are not worrying him." be-
cause he is so virtuous his acts are
above reproach.
But the holy secretary of war talked
just little too much for the people to
be convinced that the war department t
has been we'll administered. For in.
stance he says, "the commissary and
quarter-master' department. haye had
the distribution of more than 900 tons
of provisions, rations and forage daily.
and it is not surprising that some few
slips have been made" This is the
excuse he offers for the soldiers hav
ing been supplied with condemned
proyinder; for their having been
mobilized in unhealthy and uncomfort-
able quarters; for their having been
clothed with heavy woolen garments /
in tropical Cuba; for an army having |!
been sent into the field of battle with |
an inadequate number of surgeons,
poorly supplied with medicines to |
treat the sick and wounded; for the |
lack of conveyance to hospitals of the
disabled when brought back to Ameri- |
can soil. The excuse is too fimsey. |
twill not suffice to cover up the mis- |
of the department. Nine
hundred tons of provision, rations and |
forage is considerable amount to |
send out in one day, but had there
been competent man at the head of |
affairs it would have been forwarded |
without single mistake. On a weeks |
notice any of our great Wholesale |
firms would have performed the task
perfectly, because they are managed
by competent men. The war depart |
ment had more than months notice |
that it would be called upon to supply |
these provisions, ratiOns and forage.
But it was not under the management
of competent man. At its head was |
a scheming politician and a business
man who sought to make money for
himself and friends out of the needs |
of the government, allowing the SOL
diers at the front and those cooped up
at home awaiting orders to suffer.
Yet he poses as one so virtuous that
he cannot make mistakes, and he
courts an Investigation of his acts that |
will be nothing but "whitewashing"
process, for those who be seeks to
make the investigation will in a
measure be of his own appointing.