The age-herald., 1898-07-14
''IT IS POLITICS
 PURE AND SIMPLE" The Reason General Oates is Not Given
 a Command. THE OLD 0NE-ARMED HERO Fill Not Be Allowed to Lead the Ala - bama Boys tO Victory.
A STRANGER WILL REAP GLORY
Which Our Soldiers Are Bound to Achieve on the Field of Battle An Early Move
 ment is Expected From -. s5. ,..sS Miami.
BY sEWELL HAGGARD.


 Higdon's Headquarters, Camp First Ala bana Volunteers, Miami, Fla, July 13- General Oates will not have the Alabama troops in his command, nor in fact any of the troops now at Miami. It is not be- cause the one-armed hero has not worked faithfully to lead the boys of his state on to glory. Neither is it because the boys themselves do not prefer him.
 ~ It is politics pure and simple General Oates is a democrat tried and true Re- pubicans were waiting for assignments. The powers that be gave them the first chance, and experienced military lead- CT, a brave and a courageous and chival- rous southron was sidetraeked. This is not the first time that the political regime has manifested itself. Major-General Lee, who is moro thoroughtiy conversant with Cuba than any other living American, un- less it is Victor Scovel and Poultney Bige- low, is in Jacksonville aching for an op- portunity to take the field He has a splen- did command, all fine, strapping fellows. No one doubts Lees ability for illustrious leadership Why is Lee inactive? He has fallen a similar victim to Oates and other democrats.
 President Mckinley recognized the abil- ity of General Oates and gave him his ap- pointment But unfortunately for the Ala bamian to others is delegated the power of assigning commands. He plead with these men to give him command of the boys who loved him, but he was refus q. It is one of the greatest disappointments of his life, and if he had known that he would have been so long inactive it is doubtful if he would have exerted himself for the appointment. Now he is in Mont Gomery-a general without command.
 Republican commanders have so far reaped the glory of the war, and as deneral Oates sadly expressed it, stranger will reap the. glory which the Alabama troops are bound to achieve. That they will see service at an early date is not doubted. The paymaster has been ordered to hurry here with all speed to finish his work by the time moving orders become effective. Army orders are changeable unto painfulness anu it may be much longer before the army really moves than is now expected. Cap tain Nfskern of the commissary depart ment in Mobile has arrived here under rush orders He brought with him field rations for sixty days. This is the usual supply allotted to troops about to leave.
 The First Alabama cannot miss the in- itiative move, 1t being in the First brigade of the First division of the Seventh army eorps. Every officer and every private is
  equipped with the exception of canteens and haversacks. These supplies are al- ready on hand in the quartermaster' de- nartnent and will be issued within few days If the entire force here is moved more than 1000 men will be thrown in the field.
 They Are Anxious
 Orite a little buzz of excitement was created this morning by a rumor that all volunteers could upon application be trans ferred to the regular service. This was credited to the inspector general and Pri- Svate Terry of Company K. of the First, be- ing anxious to go to the front at once, in- vestigated the case. The inspector general told him to report at the Royal Palm with as many men as wanted to go. About twenty presented themselves and were in formed that if they could get their trans fcrs they could go in the regular service at once Terry was put in the guard house for his zeaousness to fight and this ended the movement for the time being. It af- rewards transpired that it was all a joke and a scheme on the part of the inspector general to find out how many men wanted to leave their regiment. Terry was then released
 Bread on Exhibit
 Yesterday afternoon Dr. Kernahan had an exhibit of bread from every company carried to the colonel's tent. The officers in charge of the companies were then called to look at it. Some of it was guar anteed to kill at range of 400 yards, yet many companies had nice light biscuits as good as one gets at any country farm house on a spring morning with the pro- verbal accompaniment of fried chickens. Captain Wallace. of Company E, bore off first honors for having the best cook. Ev- cry officer swas instructed to watch his cooking very carefully and study the re- cipe book which the government furnishes. This precaution is taken to prevent dys- entery which has begun to show itself in some of the regiments, although not in the First Alabama. Heavy bread, accord ing to Dr. Eernahan, is one of the worst things to provoke this disease.
 It is not an easy matter to make pal atable biscuits with the ingredients fur nished by the government. Lard is not handled. but there are several ways the quartermaster-sergea have Of getting it.. In some instances they render up the grease taken from the bacon when fried, In others they have rations over, and ex- change with the grocery stores for lard. Captains and quartermaster-sergea who are interested in having good biscuits al- ways have their companies provided with lard in this manner.
 Camp Notes
 In some way the report has gotten out that PrVateS DaVluSon, Turner ana Mont gomery, of Company M (Pratt City) had deserted. "Not bit of it." said one of them, a hardy Irishman. "We are here to stay as long as Uncle Sam wants us.' Very few assertions are reported from the First.
 Negroes now pack their valua bles, and steal out of town to spend the night. They leave for fear of an attack from the rowdy element of the Second Louis jana and Second Texas. It is now assert cd that private was killed in the scrim- mage the other night. If this be true, the officers are keeping it suppressed on ac-