People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-08-25
The Santiago Tragedy.

There is only one thing that can
match the splendid heroism of our
soldiers at Santiago, and that is the
criminal incompetence Of the Sub
siStence and Medical departments, to
which the feeding and nursing Of the
brave fellows was instrusted. There
are times when silence is a sin, and
we feel that to remain quiet In the
presence Of a shameful and fatal
maladministratlon that has added to
the natural horrors Of war Others that
might easily have been avoided, is to
do a positive wrong to the heroes OF
Guantanamo, El Caney and San Juan.
\ The wretched bungllng which has
marked every phase of the Santiago
campaign in the Medical aud Sub
Sistencs department is bad enough,
Heaven knows, in itself, but when the
Secretary Of War deliberately pro-
ceedS, for reasons best known to him
self, to whitewash the department, he
not only betrays callous indifference
to the army whose sufferings have
been aggravated by the inexcusable
incompetence Of his subordinates, but
he deliberately insults the American
people as a whole. more ill.timed'
statement than this apology" or one
in worse bad taste considering the
time, circumstances, and Mr.. Alger's
responsible pOsitiOn) We do not re-
member to have heard or read in the
half century OF the existence of this
journal.
The people of this country have
acquired a reputation for remarkable
patience and long suffering; and we
think that never did they show il in
such a supreme degree as the present.
II was hard for our citizens to sur
render the very flower Of our yonng
men from their homes to be dis
patched on fatal campaign in one Of
the most pestilential climates of the
world, But the surrender was made
with the loyal response which marks
a truly patriotic people. All that
they asked, the least that they ex-
pected, was that the men who had
volunteered so freely should receive
at the hands OF the country every
possible safeguard aud support that
: is known to modern science. The
American people never doubted for a
moment that its army would get the
best Of food, the best OF transporta.
tion, and the best Of nursing and
medical care In the field. In this ex-
pectation they were fully justified.
They had voted lavishly funds to
carry on the war, they had given the
administration a free hand, 10 fact, in
the matter Of expenditure, aud that
they had every reason to expect that
all the government of wealthy
powerful aud resourceful nation could
do TO soften the rlgOrs OF war would
be done.
As a matter of fact, they have seen
our army of invasion subjected to in
convenience, hardship, and positive
suferings for which there is not the
slightest excuse, and which we're
eatirely due to the amazing incOm-
potency of the medical and subsistence
departments. Everythiug,- indeed,
was favorable, highly favorable, to
the successful landing of troops and
supplies and the keeping open of CON-
municatiOn. We had the complete
lcOmnand Of the sea and abundance
of ships for transportation; the cana
paign was being carried on at our
very doors, and the field Of battle lay
but a few miles from the point of de-
barkation. Yet, as a matter OF fact,
our troops bad to gothrough the fierce
f;Vitfnoat Santiaon in half starved