The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1898-09-24

There may have been petty jealousies
existing between officers, but they
we're carefully concealed, and men
| worked like machines in all depart
ments. Then came the war with
Spain and the necessity of extending
the army from $4,000 to 2S0,0O0. This
| was task that called for the services
of experienced men, but insteod of
calling into service men who had
/ spent the best years of their life in the
pursuit of work necessary to the car
ing for such huge army of men, young
men and old men whose only recon-
mendations were their political pulls
| were called into the service.
The comm1ssary department is the
life of an army in war as well as in
peace. And when the American army
was expanded from 25, 900 to 280, 900 the
greatest task was in securing supplies
| and getting them to the men. Here
of all places was the service of skilled
men required. But instead of calling
upon men who had been trained to this
work, the politicians prevailed upon
the war department to appoint the
sons of somebodies who had political
influence. Out of 81 officers appointed
to volunteer rank in the commissary
department, only 10 were from the
regular army and SO were from civil
life. These SO men from civil life
were absolutely without the expert
ence so necessary in such grave cases,
and the result was that the $780, 900
men who were in camp or at the front
were wholly dependent upon incompe-
tents whose only fitness-if such it
may be called-was their political in
fuence. In the quartermaster' de-
partmeht SO men were appOi9ted to
volunteer rank after the war began,
and of this number only "a were from
the regular army, the other So being
from civil life.
These civilians were ignorant of the
first requirements of the positions to
which they were appointed, and
trained men had to spend valuable
time in teaching the new officers their
duties; and this in the lace of the fact
tina: men to the number of 280, 900 were
dependent in large measure upon the
quartermaster's department for every
thing needed by soldiers. Is it any
wonder that abuses prevailed, that
hospitals became death traps and
camps became hotbeds of disease?
Retired navy officers were called
back to active service when the war
broke out, but politics has had less to
do with the navy than any other de-
partment of public service. But not
one retired army officer was called into
service. That course would have less
ened the number of political appoint.
ments at the disposal of the secretary
of war, hence the competent old vet
Grams were ignored. Where military
education and exerience were most
needed they were cast aside to make
room for political pets, and though
the appointment of these pets brave,
self sacrificing nen were forced to suf-
fer and die. The whole blame for the
horrors of camp and hospital misman-
agement rests upon the men who
made humanity subordinate to politics
and the people know where the blame
belongs. 1t began with the appoint
ment of Politician Alger to the head
of the war department, and will not be
atoned until he is renewed.
If the anti-republican members of
the legislature are merely partisans
they will, in case the republicans are
unable to decide upon United States
senator, get right into the middle of |
the path, anc look neither to the right |
nor left, but vote every day of the ses-
sion for senator of their own choosing,
with no hope whatever of electing
him. If they are statesman, and have
,he welfare of the state at heart, they
will take hand in the election of sem
ltor even though he be a republican.
We can hope for no needed legislation
until the senatorial contest is dis
posed of, not even the passage of the
general appropriation bill. If the ma
ority fails to settle the contest in a
length of time, then it be-
ZONES the duty of the minority to
'ettle it. Partisansn1p, should give
way to patriotism in this matter.