The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-09-16
OUR WASHINGTON LETT Err.


WASHINGTON. D. c., September 12th.
Mr.. ED1ToR:-Mr. Mckinley has been
convinced by official evidence and the adj
vice of some of lis longheaded friends,
that he could not afford to continue to g
more the charges of msmanagement made
against the War Department, thus virtu-
ally himself assuming responsibility for
what Secretary Alger has done, and more
especially what he has left undone in look
ing after the health of the soldiers, and
has allowed the announcement to be made
that he would appoint Il 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 in
vestigation was needed, was compelled,
before he left Washington. on an investi
CATION tour of the camps and hospitals,
which, by the way, he was also compelled
to make, to write letter to Mr.. Mckin-
ley 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
Congress, there will also be COMPRESSION
al investigation, regardless of what the
Commission, to be appointed by Mr.. Nc
Kinley, 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 military Commits
sion, which investigated the charges
against those in charge of Camp Thomas,
at Chickamauga, found the charges true,
and placed the responsibility upon Major
General Brooke, his surgeons and lot of
hospital contractors. This report says:
eve can find no reasonable excuse for
the lack of supplies, which could have
been easily obtained, and were not, by
those responsible, and they should be held
strictly responsible" There is more of
the same sort, and this report was not
signed by the correspondents of ''sensa-
tional newspapers but by Milo B. Ward,
Major and Brigade Surgeon; James j.
johnson, Major End Arkansas Volunteers,
and Emil S. Hellburn, Major end Ken
lucky Volunteers, and is now in the hands
of Major General Breckenridge. 1t is no
wonder that sporting men are offering
odds fbof 1rar will have tn po
There are not many shrewder politicians
in the country than Mr.. Mckinley, and he
hasn't displayed a slicker bit of his shrewd-
ness lately than in taking three out of the
five Peace Commissioners 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. SEN
ators Davis and Frye are depended upon
to get all the republican Senators to sup
port the treaty, and Senator Gray is ex-
pected to get enough democratic Senators
to make up the requisite two-thirds. Sec
rotary Day is on the Commission solely to
be Mr.. McKinley's mouth piece, as he has
State; Whitelaw Reid was selected-well,
nobody knows what in the deuce 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 sail
ing for Europe next Saturday. According
to current gossip the administration will
| only ask for one island-Luzon-in the
Philippine group.
The news received at the headquarters
of the Democratic CongressionalCampaign
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
| full, the democrats are now confident of
| winning There is feeling among demo-
| Gratis that the House can be captured, and
| determination to do it. In number of
states the republicans are divided into
| electing democrats in Congressional dis
tricts now represented by Republicans.
The republicans are dropping their boast
full attitude, and instead of talking of in
creasing their majority in the House, as
they were doing a little while back, they
are talking of trying to hold their own,
and sending out appeals to the factions in
number of states, to get together.
Gen. Shaftcr. who came to Washington
under orders from Mr.. Mckinley, called
on Gen. Miles, at his Office in the War
! Department, but it was a duty call upon
his commanding officer and not a social
call Gen. Shafter absolutely declines to
talk for publication, but it is an open
secret that he has got it in for Miles, be-
cause of his taking the recently published
| interview with Miles to mean an attempt
to deprive him of the credit of conducting
the Santiago campaign. Miles is tickled
to death over the investigation, and, if al
lowed, will render valuable aid in getting
| at the truth