Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-09-03
EDITORIAL REVIEW.
People of Saleml
People OF Oregon !

against outrage and inhuman crueiCy
when the victims are your own SOD
and brothers aad husbands anc
friends ?
Can your blood pursue the ever
teaor of its way as you read OF the
treatment to which your brave boys
have been subjected, and are being
subjected today? 1t is not necessary
70 reeeat the shameful story here
You are all reading 1t day by day II
you have access to any paper worthy
OF the name OF newspaper. You nave
ALI read how the soldiers we're treated
in the Santiago campaign; how an
army oi %. 600 men was sent ashore
with insufficient ratiOns and less than
insufficient medical supplies; no" the
desperate lighting around Santiago
was commenced with hospital facili-
ties on hand for only one hundred
men. You have read how the army
was left there to die OF fever and It's
wounds, and would be dying ike
sheep in the miasmatic atmosphere
of Santiago province today, had there
not been Roosevelt with good red
blood IN his veins, to lead a revolt
against red tape and military pre-
cedent. You haYe read how the SICK
and wounded were shipped like cat
tie, on transports with no medicine
or surgeons, no food but rotten
canned meat, rancid bacon and moldy
hardtack, with no water fit for even
a we'll man to drink, and the captains
forbidden TO call at port where they
could get supply of fresh water. You
have read how, after weeks Of warm
ing and preparation, at Montauk, the
sick and wounded, when they arrived
there, found no cots, not even board
to lie nn; how, after they had been
there three days, within 100 miles of
New York City. not drop OF milk
had been provided for the fever
stricken patients who conld eat
nothing else.
You haye read how Mrs. Gen.
Miles found a warehouse full OF
lemons and other fruit and delicacles,
provided by private hands, lying I'M
touched and rotting among men who
were dying for the lack of such things
and how that noble woman broke the
bonds of red tape with one burst OF
righteous, human indignation.
You have read how one command
ing officer appealed directly to the
Alger for authority TO issue to his
sick soldiers few common articles
not In the regular army ration and
which were absolutely necessary FOR
the preservation OF their lives, and
how the secretary grudgingly gave
him permission TO put such articles
on the list OF "pay ratlons," which
the men could buy II they had the
money to pay for them
You have read how your own boys
on the way to the Philippines were
half starved on fations which were too
rotten TO be fed to swine.
You know what the conditions
have been, and are, at Camp Merritt
after four months of "preparation,"
The details are to dlsgraceful for rep
And you know the position that the
secretary OF war has taken in this
matter. You know that he defends
his course and that Of his appolntecs
In every particular, tnat he sees
nothing TO be wondered at; that he
says all these things are TO be ex-
pected; that he Ia very indig-
nant at the newspaper war" on his
department; that he is afraid that
we will make ourselves ridiculous in
the eyes OF foreigners, by all this
hullabaloo.
Can you expect any change for the
better from the bloodless monstrosity
who considers that there is nothing
wronRY DO you wish the scenes OF
Chleamauga and Santiago aud Mon
tauk Point and on board the transport
slave ships 10 be repeated ia the hand
ling of your own sons aud brothers
who have gone 10 the Philippines
EYen the cattle 10 the fields will de-
fend their young from the wolf and
The yulture. Are you humany win
you sit supinely down and sigh be-
cause II is the"will OF God" that your
own flesh and blood should be sent
home 10 boxes, II at all, because of
the damnable inhumauity, neglect and
incompetence OF the seeretari OF war?
Assert yoar manhood and WOMAN
hood This is 40 tIme for partisan
politics; II Is time for free born