The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-07-30
A Lesson of the War.

From the Philadelphia Ledger, July 2l
Now that the surrender of Santiago, on
terms honorable alike to vanquished and vic
tors, adds another chapter to the long roll of
our great successes, beginning with Dewey's
destruction of the Spanish feet in the Philip
pines, and ending for the present with the
splendid fight of our arms at Santiago, 1t is
not too soon to see what lesson we should
learn for our own future. Primarily we see
in the Spanish defeats the results oflong years
of bad government in Spain. Men as brave
as the Spanish sailors and soldiers were beaten
at every poiat by our men, because, whatever
the shortcomings of our civil administration,
our navy was we'll differed, well manned, well
equipped and in q state of the highest Ell
ficiency in every point. No matter what the
shortcomings of Congress and our admins
trative bureaus, the regular army was admir-
ably disciplined. Our volunteers represent
the flower of our young men, sturdy, strong
and ready for every act of herolsm and endur-
ance required of them. But back OF all these
advantages are the dark shadows OF Con-
gress largely bent on mere partlsanshlp, ann
ing at the success of party and party leaders
more than at good government and lofty
craftsmanship. Our respect for what has been
done by the army and navy, both III the field
and from their offices in Washington, and at
greatly heightened by contrast with the APP
parent incapacity and ineficiency of the work
entrusted to civilians. What we need is as
good type of excellence in their work as III
that done by the army and navy. The single
instance of the purchase of the Nlctheroy,
bought as a cruiser and barely fit to be used
as coaler, is typical instance OF CIVILIAN
ncapacity. The brave officers and men OF
the navy have been left in undisturbed pos
session of their ships, because civilians could
not do their duty, and even our Naval Re
serve, with the best will in the world, did not
! aspire to handle great battle ships. In the
army, however, we have seen too many IN
stances of old politicians and their sons put
in high places, while old officers OF tried
| ability and long years of service have been
passed over The absurdity of selecting men
| past wears of usefulness and men not yet ar
rived at it may we'll be matter for sharp
criticism, and the fault rests largely with Con
gressmen who urged the appointment OF their
sons and their friends, and with the War De
partment which did not promptly reject all
such applications, and say decidedly that the
| officers of the regular army were entitled to
all staff and field and general offices, that
young aspirants for fame could do as our own
young men have done, enlist as volunteers
and show their capacity and fitness IN the
ranks. Then, too, for quartermasters and
commissares and paymasters there were many
officers on the retired list eager to serve, who
would have done their work so well that we
should not have heard the melancholy stories
of insufficient supplies at the front and OF
storehouses filed TO repletion at Tampa and
other points where troops were embarked, and
where medical stores and artillery were left
for a later and tardy shipment. The glories
of the war are ours, and the faults of the cam
paign are ours, too, for it is due to the lndlt-
| ference of the voters of the country that Rep
resentatives were sent to Congress who thought
! first Of their own families and political sup
porters and afterwards of our brave soldiers
and sailors If we would avoid the fate OF
| Spain, we must improve our own methods OF
government and administration. We must
send our best men to represent US III Congress
and in State Legislatures and municipal
| Councils. and we must maintain civil ser
vice that will be as good as the army and navy
! and he p win campaigns on land and sea IN
| time of peace as well as of war. 1t will not
do to content ourselves with the glories OF our
conquests without trying to secure for our
national and State and city governments the
same energy and trained capacity that have
enabled our navy and our army to overthrow
the Spaniards at every point. The future is
big with difficult questions i'll legislation and
administration. and we must put our best and
strongest men in office that they may safely
carry the nation through the trials that Will
| have to be met before we can again settle
down to our daily life of peaceabe activity