The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-14
EAGAN'S PUNISHMENT.

The Herald has given President Nc
Kinley credit for taking the action he
did in reference to Eagan. 1t was
gratifying to know that the president
was willing to assume any responsible
ity in the matter whatever. 1t came
as a sort of surprise, in view of the
embarrassing and shielding given AL
ger, the real party at fault, by the ad-
ministration.
But there are those who consider the
sentence imposed by the president as
disgracefully light, in comparison with
the nature of the offense, and no actual
punishment outside Of the humiliation,
which it is not believed will, for one
second, affect a person as coarse and
foul-minded as Eagan's language
proves him to be.
William E. Curtis, the brilliant cor
respondent of the Chicago Record,
takes the following view of the pres-
dents action:
Leaving the disgrace and humiliation
out of sight, many an officer in the
army or the navy would be glad to
receive the sentence that was passed
upon General Eagan. In fact, nine
tenths of the population of the earth
would grab at his situation, if they
could get it, speaking from a financial
point of view. While it is true that he
is permanently dishonoHed, and will
bear the badge of disgrace the remain
der of his life, his financial condition
is assured to a degree beyond that of
any other officer of the army or navy,
and 1t furnishes some striking con-
traSts. General Eagan will draw from
the treasury Of the United States dur
ing the next six years while he is I'M
der suspension a salary of So, 800 a year,
without being called upon to perform
any duty or bear any responsibility.
He will have his entire time to him
self. He viii be free to engage in
business, and Will probably go to Cali
fornla, where he has a ranch He was
born on the Pacific coast, where his
family still resides. and has spent most
of his life there. His pay will be suf-
fcient to support him in comfort and
luxury. By the operation of his SEN
tence he loses his allowance for quar-
tiers, forage, fuel and other things that
are furnished free to army officers by
the government, but he will not need
them.
Captain Clark of the Oregon. while
awaiting orders at his old home in
Mlcnlgan, received 800 less than one
half Of the pay of General Eagan, or
200 year. Having recovered his
health, he is to be assigned to shore
duty, and his pay, with all his honors,
VIII be $500 a year, or 81, 600 less than
Eagan draws in disgrace.
Commodore Philip, whom everybody
knows, is now commanding at the
Brooklyn navy yard, where his respon-
slblllty and cares and labors are very
great. He will receive a salary of
$4,000 year, or 81, 500 less than Eagan.
II he should go on waiting orders or
take leave of absence, or be relieved
from duty, he would receive only s., 900.
Admiral Dewey at Manila is paid
$500 more than Eagan, while he is in
command of the Asiatic squadron.
When he comes home at the, end of his
cruise. and is assigned to shore duty,
ne viii be paid $500 less than Eagan,
and while he is awaiting orders or on
leave OF absence he will be entitled to
81, 800 less
Admiral Schlev is now in Washing
ton, awaiting orders. 1t is proposed to
fleet for him and send him
to Europe in command of it as soon as
matters settle down in the Philippines
and the West Indies, but until then,
according to the rules of the service, (
be is waiting ORDERS" and is entitled
to pay at the rate of 1900 a year. or
two-thirds of what he would receive |
while at sea. He is, therefore drawing
81, 0OO less than General Eagan.