The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-10-22
Secretary Alger,s Faults.
From the Roston Herald


There is, we regret to say, growing belief
that the War Investigating Commission is lay
ing out its work in a way to relieve Secretary
Alger of all censure for his official conduct.
Every one knows that an army of men cam
not be sent into tropical country during the
rainy season of the year without the risk OF
great loss of life by disease. 1t is equally
matter of common knowledge that volunteer
soldiers serving under newly appointed and
inexperienced officers are not likely to prac-
tice the methods, or have imposed upon them
the restraints needed when in camp and on
the march, to insure the smallest percentage
of sickness. Besides this, no one needs to be
told that to suddenly increase the size OF an
army from rs, 900 to $50, 900 men entails diff
fculties which make efficient services at all
points and under all conditions absolutely i'm
possible. An investigating commission which
simply dwells upon these points-as the
Presidents commission appears TO be doing
will have not the least trouble in making 1t
evident that good deal of suffering and
many deaths could not by any possibility have
been avoided.
What we have insisted upon, and what,
apparently, the Commission seeks to ignore,
or at least minimize, is that an increase IN
suffering and an added number to the deaths
which, under the best of circumstances, made
that the War Department, so far as its ad-
minstrative branches were concerned, was
run upon basis of politics and tavoritism.
1t is fact which cannot be disputed-but the
Commission apparently does not wish to have
the circumstances brought out-that profters
of service were made to the War Department
by thoroughly experienced men, men who IN
many instances had had West Point training
and had performed in the regular army quar-
termaster and commissary service, winch
prefers were CONTEMPORARY declined or lg-
rored, while the offices which these men could
have filled from their training and past eX'
perience in an efficient manner were gwen to
men entirely ignorant of the duties OF the po-
sitions, who happened 10 have strong poht-
ical pull.
The selection of personal friend to com
mand the expedition sent to Cuba, without
regard to fitness, was an exceedingly costly
blunder for the Secretary Of War to make,
arr the manner in which General Shafter has
dropped out of sight since he returned to this
country is evidence sufficient that he was not
the man for the place, and did not perform
the work which was expected of him. He
was given without warranty an opportunity to
distinguish himself, but the selection was
mistaken one, and one which we should sup
pose no one would more regret than General
Shatter himself. but TINS was ohly du epi-
sode,
The chief complaint made was the way in
which those entrusted with the Commissary
and Quartermaster Departments failed to do
their duty; that is, failed to provide food when
food was needed, and failed to provide the
medicine and nutriment for tie sick when our
half-starved soldiers were struck down by
disease 1t was these two branches OF our
military service in which the political friends
and personal favorites of the Secretary OF
War were appointed to serve. They may
have been Senators sons, or Congressmen's
sons, or prominent politicians sons, but
whoever they were, they were not up to the
duties required of them, and as result our
soldiers had to go often unfed and our sick
often uncared for. If the investigating Com
mission wishes TO prosecute its inquiries with
entire fairness, let it make an inquiry as to
why these appointments were made, when
experienced men might haye been obtained
to undertake the work; what the appointees
did when they were appointed; and then IN
form the country how far they failed of doing
what would have been done by experienced
men holding the same positions.