New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1898-07-02
DISGRACE OF THE CENTURY.

In war every patriotic citizel
places his duty to his country abov,
all party considerations. To do les!
would make good citizen some
thing below the grade of patriot
"Our Country, Right or Wrong
was first proclaimed during our wal
with Mexico, over half century
ago, and it has been a popular
Americanism ever since. And
while it is the sacred duty Of every
citizen to stand by the administra,
ton in war, it is still a higher and
more sacred duty for the admins
tration to stand by the people. Mil
lions of patriotic Americans are now
in sore distress because the Presi-
dent of the United States has failed
to rise to the level of the war crisis,
but is dealing out soldiers com
missions as he has been dealing
out civil Offices-nOt on merit or
achievement, but party service of
the most servile sort. A prominent
New York journal that supported
President Mckinley in 1896 with as
much ability and vigor as any news
paper in the United States (the
New York Times) classes the recent
batch of important military ap-
pointlnents as a National Sean
dal."
When the government of the Uni
ted States puts its strong arm around
the citizen and takes him from his
home, and puts him into the army
to be target for bullets, and dy-
Mantle, and shell, and schrapnel,
and all the devilish engines of
death, it is the sacred and patriotic
duty of the government to see that
the life of the citizen is not need
iessly sacrificed. When the gov
ernment takes the poor widows
son, her only support, and puts
him in the hell of battle, it owes a
sacred duty to this soldier to see to
it that he has an experienced and
capable officer to command him.
And if the President Of the United
States is so wrapped up in venal
politics that he is unable to rise to
the crisis as patriot and deal gen
erously and justly with the people
who have made him their COM
in chief, it would seem a
duty that the press owes the people
TO point out fearlessly his criminal
lapse from duty. Because to pre-
serve the life and welfare of the
citizen is the highest duty of the
State, either in war or peace.
1t comes from Gov. Pingree, of
Michigan, a soldier Republican
who was elected in 1896
on the same ticket with President
Mckinley, that no soldier, no mat
ter what his experience or capabil-
lty may be, can secure any position
in the army now without a political
pull. 1t comes from the well-known
Republican correspondent, Richard
Drvis, who was himself
appointed Assistant Adjutant Gen
eral, that it took a political pull to
land the office. And he resigned
when he scanned the list of mex
Derienced nObOdies who were sent
20 the Senate with his own name.
1t comes from no less a person
.ge than Poultney Bigelow, in Har-
oer's Weekly, that the staff officers
sent by President Mckinley to care
ior our brave boys at Tampa, are
not only utterly incompetent, but
utterly inane and worthless. Let
is quote a paragraph from Bigelow,
writing from Tampa, Fla, to Har-
3er's Weekly, the most vehement
If all the mugwump journals that
Mckinley in 1896. Here
We quote a paragraph from Bige-
Ow:
"We are in the habit of plying
;he soldier of Europe as hardly
For downright neglect, I
nave seen nothing to beat the way
he American is treated by Uncle
Sam.
The great need at present, to
prevent needless suffering amongst
,ur men, is proper organization Of
he commissary department and
staff generally. The army is lum-
oered up with civilian staff officers
whose duty it is to see that our men
ire properly located and taken care
If.
The United States troops who ar
i've in Tampa are dumped out at a
railway siding like SO many emi-
grants. No staff officer prepares
in advance for them.
go off in any direction
hat suits them, looking for the
nearest place where they may cook
heir pork and beans. lam no pes
,imist. ] have been camping with
living their life, eating
heir food and noting their courage
md discipline under fire. In all the
armies of Europe there are no bet
Ter soldiers man for man than those