The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-08-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Vrom our REGULAR corrcspondcnt)

answer to its request, and which
the French ambassador acting as
Spanish Minister, has accepted, the
general impression is, that on the
whole, the administration has
acquitted itself very creditably in
handling this matter as far as it has
gone. The terms require Spain to
withdraw its troops at its own ex-
tense from Cuba and Porto Rico ;
to pay all Just claims of Americans
for property destroyed in Cuba; the
u. 5. explicitly disciaims any re-
sponsibility whatever for bonds is
sued by Spain and secured by its
revenues from either Cuba or Porto
Rico-a decided check to the
scheme which certain Americans
have been trying to work in behalf
of the European holders of that
class of Spanish bonds; and the
final disposition of the Philippines
is left open to be settled as we may
see fit. One mans guess is about
as good as another's as to what will
be the next step Of the tricky Span
iards. Any other country might be
counted upon to follow the recon-
menGation of its accredited minis
ter, but Spain cannot be counted
upon to do anything.
Commissary General Egan OF the
army is out in an interview reply
ing to q letter written by r. b.
Roosevelt, a New York lawyer,
charging that there was either
shameful incapacity or Infamous
dishonesty in the commissary de-
uartment, and that neither enough,
nor proper food had been furnished
the men at the front. Egan's re-
ply is what the boys call shot
stuff; )" he calls Roosevelt several
kinds of a notoriety hunting liar,
and says his letter was "a low litel-
lous, scandalous villitioation of hon
est men," Yet from the reports
sent home by the volunteers, most
people will believe that Egan is the
liar, and Roosevelt told the truth
or about half of it-for it is said to
be even worse than described by
him.
Surgeon General Sternberg adj
mits that although nor than 5000
of Gen. Skaters men are now
down with the fever, that he thinks
the worst is yet to come. The only
consolation about the situation is
the small number of fatalities
among the fever patients, but the
disease may assume a more mallg-
nant type at any time.
When General Miles landed at a
Porto Rican port that was not the
one the administration expected
him to land at, there was considera-
BILE growing in administration cir
Giles, and even talk Of Miles being
censured for not having obeyed or
lers, but as soon as the news of his
successful occupation, without loss
Of life, of much territory, including
a number of towns, it was denied
that any such talk had ever been
INDUCED in. Nothing succeeds
like success" you know. Had
Miles met with any reverses, he
would at once have been made a
scape goat.
Representative Davey, Of Louisi-
ana, whose vigorous presentation
Of facts acquired during a stay of
one week in the camp at Miami,
Fla, caused the war department to
orders transferring the troops
from that point to Jacksonville,
does not mince words in describing
the conditions OF those troops, and
expressing the opinion that some
body was blameable for the mis-
management which he said had de-
bilitated and disheartened hundreds
of the men. To show that he had
not exaggerated the situation, Mr..
Davey pointed to the official record
of nine hundred men on the sick
list at one time in a camp of two
brigades, calling attention to the
fact that the men being from Ala
bama, Louisiana, and Texas were
r a,tically all immunes, so far as
climatic conditions were concerned.
One would suppose that canteens
would be one Of the first things pro-
vided for soldiers in a summer cam
paign, yet when Mr.. Davey arrived
in camp he found that there was
only one canteen for seven men,
and when he left a week later, there
were half the men still without can
teens.
1t is a chestnut with whiskers on
it to say the civil service commits
sion is a humbug, but in view Of
the fact that these truly good men,
who draw big salaries for profess
ing goodness, have just officially
reduced a clerk in the employ of
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