The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-09-04


that a scheme has been concocted in
administration circles to completely
cover up the Miles-Aiger controversy
from public view. The plan is for
General Miles to intimate" to the
newspapers that the tell-tale dis
patches were given cut by thought
less staff officer, and as q reward for
the treachery or lying the whole af-
fair will be dropped. This means
that the general in chief of the army
is to willingly become an accomplice
of the war department to deceive the
people and prevent an exposure of
the rottenness of the war office.
General Miles has not been con-
suited, nor does he know anything
about the plan to shield Secretary
Alger, but he will be made ac-
quainted with it in all it's details
upon his arrival. That will bring
the general right up to the parting
of the ways. Unless the country has
misjudged the metal of the general
he will promptly knock the fellow
down who submits the proposition.
The situation will provide no middle
ground between honesty and dishon-
esty. The general must either feel
grossly insulted when the plan is
unfolded to him, or he must cheer
fully become party to it.
General Miles has more official
knowledge of the tricks played by
the war office than any other man.
They had to be played behind cur
tains, and his position throws him
back of, as we'll as before, the
scenes. He has official knowledge
of the conspiracy against himself,
and he has official knowledge of the
political schemes of the war depart
ment. He knows how and why the
nation has been humiliated to fur
ther the ends of the partisan aims of
the war secretary, and of the ad-
ministration, too, for that matter.
Though not a great commander,
General Miles has always been look
ed upon as an honest man and q true
American. Moreover. he has the
confidence and respect of the peo-
Pile. This is the man, this is the
kind of a man, that is to be invited
to stultify himself and deliberately
enter into a conspiracy to deceive
the people and defeat the ends OF
Justice. For a price he Is to be
asked to sell his honor and disgrace
the uniform of the ranking military
officer of the nation. The price is
dishonor for himself, for the army
and for the American people. Sure
ly General Miles is not that kind Of
. man.
But what would be even more in
sulting to an honorable man is the
implied threat that if General Miles
does not acquiesce in the monsSrouf
conspiracy he will be court martial
ed and stripped of his epaulets. Nc
one believes that the general was c
party to the jobs and reckless man
agement of the war department, but
everyone would be justified in believ
ing SO if he were to agree to the pro
position to withhold the facts. The
infamy of the threat is it implies
that the general in chief is to be sac
rificed on distorted and manufactur
: ed evidence if he does not yield tt
the demand of the war office, anC
that the war Office, which means the
administration, is abundantly able
to crush him in spite of law, justice
and public sentiment. The Grim
inal's first thought, after he is il
the clutches of the law, is that hi
chances of escaping justice would
. be greatly enchanced if the wit
nesses could be gotten out of tht
way. The administration seems tt
be getting deeper and deeper in thu
mire of self-destruction.- -Kansa
City Times.