The evening times., 1898-10-06
SCREENING THE INQUIRY
Caustic Criticism of the Alger
Relief Commission.
HORRORS KEPT CONCEALED
Motives of the Commission i'm Bar
ring Gut the Public. Represented
by Reporters, From Its Proceed
inas-DanEers of an Army System
Similar TO That of France.

New York Oct. 6-The Journal this
morning prints a caustic criticism from
the pen of Julian Hawthorne on the
methods employed by the Commission
investigating the War Department scam
dals TO prevent the public, through the
newspapers, who are refused admittance
TO the sessions, from becoming acquaint-
ed with the innermost facts of the situa-
ton.
Mr.. Hawthorne finds that the investiga-
ton is being conducted in a sparsely-
dimensioned chamber, of % by % area.
into which only two or three privileged
reporters or stenographers are admit
ed.
Out Upon the ThcshOId.
Abiding to this, the writer says: Like
the Peri of posey, L am standing at this
moment at the gate of the limited p feet
by 25 feet Paradise in which the angels
Of the investigation have chosen to take
up their official abode. My own commits
sion is to get in, and tell the outer world,
not so much what they are doing, as how
they do il, and what sort of people they
are. L wish TO rcassure the world that
they are armed with spades and scalpels,
rather than with buckets of whitewash.
And in doing this | would be acting as
much in their interests as in those of the
public.
For though each one of the nine may
be Rhadamanthus himself, as relentless
as Boston end wind and as penetrating
as a Mauser bullet. yet all would not
serve unless the public is persuaded
thereof; and how is the public to be per
suaded? Not by the Rhadammanthuses
themselves. or by their official stenogra-
piers.
The Commission already suffers in the
general estimation from the suspicion at
taching to any inquiry which is called
for by the objects OF the inquiry them
selves. And if. in addition to this. the
reports of their proceedings are to be
gathered solely from the nerve!ess and
uncomposed outline of the stenogra
phers-and when, moreover, we are not
sure that the entirety even OF these out
lines is communicated to us-we are prone
TO become restive. If not absolutely skep-
teal
Why so much privacy. o Rhadaman-
thuses? The answer is up to date, % feet
by . feet But then the impatient public
wants to know whether the resources OF
the United States are indeed incompetent
to furnish the investigators with bigger
room. If they are, OF course that ends
the matter, so far: but if they are not,
then the question inevitably arises, Why
didn't they do it2 If the answer be- In
order that reporters might be excluded,
we find ourselves reeling in vicious cir
Gle at once"
Star Chamber Work Inadequate.
1T.
porters could not be admitted. as many
as could be should have access to the in
vestigating room. The more the better
if not the merrier." ne says, but let lis
have some, or even one. if one be the
limit
The mothers and sweethearts, and
fathers and brothers Of the men who
died in camp want TO know who if any
one, is responsible for their deaths, and
they will not be put off by any plea OF
lack Of room. 1t is a serious matter 10
them-a life-anddeath matter to many
Of them. If they get the idea that they
are being played with il will be a serious
matter also for those they think are
playing with them. For the public is
! determined to really know what hap
! pened in those camps and in those pes'
/ ships, and why, and when they find out
meted out. no matter who may be damn.
| ed or destroyed thereby"
one-Sided Inquiries DungeroI
THE Commission. as we all know, -
continues the correspondent. lis with one
exception not composed of the persons
first invited by the President; it is his
second. or third choice. There are four
! Democrats and five Republicans. and
most of them are veterans of the war
of the rebellion.
Now, il is known that veterans are,
with the best intentions in the world
! apt to be laudatores temporis acti; they
4 think things were better when they were
young. They think the present genera
! ton is effeminate and complains about
/ things which they endured with stoicism.
| Their tendency is To suspect exasgera-
ton and TO surmise that these cOntempO-
/ rary devils are not so black as the alleg-
ed victims paint them.
''All the members are men of sixty OIL
| over; none Of them. / believe. has lOsI
a son in this war. or even had him thrown
upon his hands with a shattered consti.
tuition. 1t is difficult for such person;
TO be absolutely impartial in their in
quiries; they will not ask the question.
/ that go TO the root and touch the quick
cooperate with witness who is dispos
ed (as was Gen. Wheeler yesterday tc
| take a cheerful view of the situation.
ION the other hand. if they get before
| them such man or woman who has suf
| fered. or seen suffering, they will not en-.
courage him or her TO air grievances
their tone will be. rather. Don't you
think you are drawing it pretty strong?
! Once in a while. OF course, they viii
/ ill al,nT hn
and means to justify his anger But
hostile atmosphere will cool the ardol
even of such an one; and he will also say
to himself: What is the use? This thing
! IS not meant TO be bona fide.'
| "Aand. then, apart from all this. Their
remains the fact that the majority of tn,
| Commission are supporters of the Ad
ministration. and that very strong inf1u
ences are at work to make the finding!
warrant the announced conviction of Sec
retary Alger himself that nobody wa!
really to blame but the careless and igno
rant soldiers themselves who sickenet
| and died"
General WheeIer's Testimony
Allusion is made to Gen. Wheeler's evi
dence. OF that distinguished soldier Mr.
Hawthorne writes that he seldom CAV,
what would be regarded as legitimat,
evidence in a court of law; too often h,
only thinks" or has been told or "be
lieves," or did not see" the matters un
der inquiry. And most of the question
put to him are either of small point an,
Importance, or of so broad a characte
that he can ride through them rough
shod if he chooses-and uniformly h
does choose.
His attitude is that of the couyen