The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-06

A blush OF shame must tiage the cheek
OF every loyal American at the sorry spec
sacle yellow Journalism IS making of his
country. Now that the war IS ended, some
thing else must be found upon which TO
base q sensation and help the sale OF these
disturoegs Of the peace. The snfferings OF
the troops in camp before Santiago are
seized upon by these harpes. ard the SYM
pafhies OF the people wrought to the higs-
est tension by narrowing tales from the
dsneren, camps and hospitals.
War is 4 tragedy from end to end To
send troops from the north 10 a tropical.
feyer-infes:ed country a. the very worst
time OF the year mus. result In much
sickness and many deaths. 1t could not be
otherwise. Mistakes have been made and
plumbers committed, but these were also
inevitable. Man IS failable. and it would
be beyond the bounds OF reason 10 expect
the country 10 pass through the experience
OF the past four months without develop
ing some inefficieney. Many of the COM
plants which have found their way into
reporters have. when investigated, been
found utterly baseiess or founded upon
some matter too trivial for mention.
A short time ago the charge was made
that tho troops on one OF the transports
from Santiago had been the victims OF ex-
tort:on by employees on the vessel. These
charges were so emphatic. and the sensa-
tional papers made such a pitifui howl
about il all. that vigorous investigation
was made and the whole matter probed
TO the bottom. Witnesses were called and
every effort made TO reach all the facts.
The report has just been made TO the de-
partment and it is therein disclosed tina,
the whole tempest was raised because the
steward charged one of the soldiers - cents
for a sandwich.
Only day or two ago a local journal
with yellow tendencies published a letter
from an hyster!cal female correspondent
dated al Montauk Point. September 2,
which was filed with horrifying iescrip-
tons of living skeletons. most Of whom it
was alleged belonged to the Seventy-tirst
New York regiment. The only comment
necessary is that the Seventy-first regi-
ment left Camp Wikoff four days before
the letter was written.
These are but samples Of the kind OF stuff
with which the sensational papers have
been delug.ng tho public. We are convinc-
ed tina: Official Investigations in other di-
rections will disclose the same or similar
results That any of our troops are starv-
ing Is such a ridiculous statement that
no sane person VIII entertain IL for mo-
ment The Democratic and mugwump
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. papers are striving in
every way 10 bring shame and dshonor ou
the nation in the hope OF making party
capital. Such unpatriotic, disloyai and
shameful mendacity will prove a boomer
ang to those orators and newspapers who
are using these tactics for party purposes.
The world is standing aghast at the spec
tacle. The honor which our armies have
WON for our country is being dragged IN
the mire.
Last week a London journal which has
been our friend throughout the war con-
tanned the following editorial;
These of US who thought we understood
the Yankee character must reorg an.ze our
views. We have been taught to believe
that the American was a hardy and level
headed man who could stand the maximum
of misfortune with the mitaiEuYn of COM
plant. But the noise just now being made
fl the United States over the Spanish war
reminds us more of the petulancy Of chill
dren than the hardwood of men. We can
not understand II all. The Americans won
a war with a CELEBRITY and briliancy that
seldom has been equaled in the annals Of
the world They lost comparatively moth
ing either on land or sea The death rate
from sickness in the armies IN Cuba, Porto
Rico and the Philippines has been as moth
ing when compared with British losses In
the Soudan or upon the very Island over
which the Americans went 10 war. In
such a record Il might be supposed there
was fothing with which serious fault could
be found. B1t, as we have sad, We 10
not know tho Americans. To read their
newspapers one would suppose they had
lost all; that their fleets were destroyed:
the battles lost and their armies persisted
Il seems TO US that the Spaniards in their
defeat are conducting themselves with
more uanlintss and proprsty than the
Americans in their Vic.ory.S
What answer can w. make to this ar
raignment? We can only hang our heads
In shame and plead guilty" There must
be a stop put TO this unseen,y contention
Let us regain some Of our lost dignity and
play the par. Of men. The sooner this is
done the better pIeasa{3 will Ia the great