Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-09-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Sept. II, 1898.

Mr.. Mckinley has been convinced by
official evidence and the advice of some of
his long headed friends, that he could not
afford to continue to ignore the charges of
Encouragement made against the War
Department, thus virtually himself assum-
ing responsibility for what Secretary Alger
has done, and more especially what he has
left undOne in looking after the health of
the soldiers, and has allowed the announce
ment to be made that he would appoint a
Commission of eminent men, whose report
will enjoy the confidence of the country, to
investigate the entire conduct of the war;
Secretary Alger. who had repeatedly said
that no investigation was needed was COM
PEELED, before he left Washington, on an
inspection tour of the camps and hospitals,
which, by the way, he was also compelled
to make, to write letter to Mr. Mckinley
asking that an investigation be made. If
Senators and Representatives, who have
been in Washington during the last few
days correctly represent the views of Con-
gress, there will also be a congressional
investigation, regardless of what the Com
mission. to be appointed by Mr. Mckinley,
may do. The desire to get at the truth,
regardless of who it may hurt-to place
the responsibility for the death and semi,
starvation of so many volunteers, and to
punish the guilty-is growing every day,
and will continue to grow until the truth
and the whole truth shall be known. The
official report of a military Commission,
which investigated the charges against
those in charge Of Camp Thomas, at Chick
amagua, found the chsrges true. aud placed
the responsibility upon Maj. Gen. Brook,
his Surgeons and lot of hospital con-
tractors. This report says: We can find
no reasonable excuse for the lack of sup.
plies which could have been easily OBJ
tanned, and were not, by those responsible.
and they should be held strictly RESPONSE
ble." There is more of the same SORT and
this report was not signed by the cores
pondents of sensational newspapers but
by Milo B. Ward, Major and Brigade
Surgeon James j. johnson, Major End
Arkansas Volunteers, and Emil S. He'll
burn, Major 2nd Kentucky Volunteers,a and
is now in the hands of Maj. Gen. Brecken-
ridge. 1t is no wonder that sporting men
are Offering odds that Alger will have to
60
There are not many shrewder politicians
10 the country than Mr.. Mckinley, and he
hasn't displayed slicker bit of his
shrewdness lately than in taking three out
of the five Peace Comm ssionors from the
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,
which must approve the treaty that will be
made by the Commission if it is to have
any chance to be ratified by the Senate.
Senators Davies and Frye are depended
upon to get all the Republican Senators to
support the treaty, and Senator Gray is
expected to get enough Democratic Sen
ators on the Commission, solely to be MI
McKiDley's mouth piece, as he has been at
the head of the Department of State !;
Whitelaw Reed was selected-well nobody
knows what in the duce he was selected
for. unless it was to show Boss Platt that
his protests did not always count. The
Commissioners are to meet Mr.. Mckinley
this week, previous to sailing for Europe
next Saturday. According to current Cos
sip, the administration will only ask for
one island = Luzon = in the Philippine
group.
The news received at the headquarters
of the Democratic Congressional Campaign
Committee gets more encouraging every
day. In many Districts that were some
time ago put in the Republican column by
a small margin, or were considered doubt
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winning. There is feeling among Demo
Gratis hat the House can be captured, and
determination to do it. In number of
States the Republicans are divided into
factions, which will add to the chances of
electing Democrats in Congressional Dis
tricts now represented by Republicans
The Republicans are dropping their boast
fol attitude, and instead of talking of
increasing their majority in the House, as
they were doing little while back, they
are talking of trying to hold their wn,and
sending out appeals to the factions in
number of States to get together.
Gen Shafter, who came to Washington
under orders from Mr.. Mckinley, called on
Gen. Miles at his Office in the War Depart
ment, but it was a duty call upon his
commanding officer, and not social call
Gen. Shafter absolutely declines to talk
for publication, but it is an open secret
that he has got it in for Miles, because Of
his taking the recently published inter
view with Miles to mean an attempt to
deprive him of the credit of conducting
the Santiago campaign. Miles is tickled to
death over the investigations and if allowed,
will render valuable aid in getting at the
truth.