The times., 1898-09-27
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27. 1898.
The Limitations of the Commission


The Limitations of the Commission.
The gentlemen who have succumbed-
not without reluctance we may believe
to the entreaties Of the President TO
serve on an investigating commission,
are well and favorably known to the
public. They are men who have passed
through life's stormy period and are
fully within the mellow season when
charity abounds. They have all the
amiable qualities of the American gen.
tleman whose success and standing are
assured. They are of more than one
political party, but even if they were
not, they could never be suspected of
fuence their actions and opinions. But
in the nature of things they cannot be
expected to make the sort of investiga-
tion and report Justice requires and the
American people demand
AS We have said. they are gentlemen.
and most, if not all, are personal friends
of President Mckinley. Only this
friendship could induce them TO under
take a most disagreeable task, from
which so many others have discreetly
shrunk Consider what they are asked
20 do. In his instructions, the President
told them that member of his official
family, a trusted adviser, who was Sc
lected for his place by the President
himself, had asked for commission 10
investigate charges Of malfeasance-of
incompetency and neglect which
caused terrible suffering to nearly all
our soldiers and death to many
charges which he denounces as the ma
licious inventions OF a wicked press.
That the President himself has no dis
position TO hold his adviser responsible
for defects and failures, but seems to
regard them as the unavoidable prod
ucts of the situation, is shown by his
retention of the accused in office and
his refusal to institute an inquiry until
1t was requested by the official in order
10 clear his name of reproach.
To fancy the limitations these gentle
men are likely to place on themselves
we do not need 10 assume, with the
Prince of Wales, that a gentleman is
ever called upon 10 perjure himself.
The conditions of their appointment,
the attitude of the President-their
friend and virtually their host-toward
the official who is to be the subject of
inquiry, the absence of formal charges
and of judicial authority, and, finally.
their own character, must, in their
opinion, relieve them of the distasteful
duty of "nosing around" prying into
the minute doings of officials, setting
traps, and bounding and badgering re-
luctant agents Of the Government. and
screwing facts from elusive witnesses,
with the knowledge that the result must
add TO the fierceness of popular indig-
nation and cause unspeakable distress
TO the President.
To get at the ugly, shameful truth,
they must themselves formulate
charges-for otherwise there will be
none-against this member of the Pres
ident's Official household, and institute
an energetic, relentless search for evil
dence which, when published. must
make OF the Secretary of War an object
of universal wrath. Among them are
officers of the army who would be re-
Quired, by the necessities of an ex-
haustive investigation, to find a verdict
against the head of the department,
their superior. which is contrary to ev-
cry principle of military life and dis
cipline. II must be apparent to the
duIlest mind that the President has i'm
posed an ungrateful task on all these
gentlemen, who are almost inevitably
bound to take advantage of their limi-
tations to see only so far into the mat
ters at issue as their honesty compels
and TO report only on what comes with
in the narrow range of their vision.
The President may gain from their la
bors knowledge enough for his purposes
and that is all that is required. Nobody
has any right 10 complain. But for the
people and for justice. quite other in
sestigators, with fuller powers and a