The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-09-21
Washington Letter.
lErom our Special Correspondent

(ErOm our Special correspondent
Washington, D. c., Sept 1S--While the
President is having serious trouble in get
ting available men to accept appointments
upon his committee Of Investigation into
the war departments management Of the
war, there are people who regard the whole
proceeding as o stupendous farce. Ad.
dressing itself to this feature Of the case,
the New York Evening Post recently said:
The difficulty MIR. Mckinley finds in get
ting good men to serve on his war investl-
patlcn commission comes evidently from
its being recognized as farce. 1t IS q
flrce. The President. having power as
commander-in- chief to order real Judicial
investigation which would bring out the
facts, attempts to call into existence board
with no more power than o number OF re-
porters would bave-a board which any
one can stuff with any information he
pleases, and to which any one can refuse
any information he dislikes to disclose.
The conclusions Of such board would not
be any higher in value than the conclu-
slons any one can reach for himself by
reading the newspapers. The result IS,
the board Of investigation experiment thus
far peases nobody-least OF all, those who
are asked to serve. This is usually the re-
suit of trying to please everybody" 1t now
turns ont that the venerable lieutenant
general of the army (John NJ. Schoield, re-
tired) positively refuses to serve after being
urged to do so by the President himself.
These had o rather stormy conference yes
terday. In the course OF the interview, the
President told him that it WAS his duty
as citizen and retired officer Of the army
to put aside his personal feelings IN the
matter and obey the wishes OF the PreSi-
dent of the United States; but the deter
mined old warrior still stoutly refused to
serve-making his opposition to the pro-
motion of Gen. Miles to the ranking place
in the army rs his reason for serving upon
committee charged with the Investigation
of matters brought up by that SAME Gen.
Miles The President very properly re-
minded him that Qike the flowers that
bloom il the spring tra-la' 1t had nothing
to DO with the case; but remonstlance was
of no avail. SO the President is out gun
ming for new chairman Of his lnveStlga
ton committee In the meantime the Sec
retary of War has himself gotten into an
! invest! gative frame of mind, and is now
having everything and everybody under
the war department iuvestigated-on his
his own hook. Capt Evan P. Howell (tor
mer!y of the Atlanta Constitution) said that
| he would consent to serve upon the COM
mission provided it were clothed with pie
nary powers and authorized to investigate
whom it SAW tit and IN its own way and to
it's own extent-'hewing TO the llile and
letting the chips fall where they may" and
since he has finally consented to serve after
al extended interview with the President,
it seems safe to assume that the President
is disposed to let the investigation take g
wide range. OF course that is wise on the
part of the President; for, since be has un-
dertaken an Investigation, 1t would not
do for him to place himself IL the attitude
of trying to shield anybody or anything or
to withhold anybody or anything from the
searchlight of the committee; but there IS
but little doubt that the President wishes
he did not owe this exact!ng duty to him.
self and his party; for, besides its rDp!eas-
ant features IN advance OF the actual lnTes-
tigation. it is sure to leave 4 bad taste in
the mouth Of the public, and cannot posi-
bly, do Mr.. Mckinleys administration Of
the affairs of the nation any good by way
of credit Being Christian gentleman. It
is cot improbable that he re-echoed that
pathetic prayer of our Saviour, 20, Lord
If it be possible, let this cup pass away from
me-"
The Peace Commission sailed yesterday
from New York for Paris on the Cumpania.
It is composed of the following eminent
gentlemen: eX-Secretary of State. William
r. Day. of Ohio, chairman; Senators Cush-
man r. Davis, OF Minnesota; William P.
Frye, of Maine, and George Gray Q: Della
ware and Mr.. Whitelaw Reid editor OF
The Tribune'O, of New York associates.
Their final instructions are sealed from the
public eye.