The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-14
gAeAN's PUNISHMENT.
Considered Likely To Be Destruction
Of Discipline.

Military Men Amazed az the Lightness
of His sentencs-supposed To BE
Part OF the Campaign Against Gen.
Miles.
prEcAL TO THE rnEss.I
Washington, February i8 -The unfor-
tunate disturbance In the War Depart.
ment seems In no wise to calm itself with
the passage of events The invest igating
board has. 1t is true reported an exon
GRAFTON Of Secretary Aleer; ut this
comes at time when attention Is being
attracted forcibly to the manifest infiu-
ence Of the War Department on the side
Of General Eagan as against General
Miles
General Eagan said Of his superior officer:
"He lies In his throat; he lies In his
heart; he lies in every hair Of his head
and every pore of his body; he lies
| wilfully, deliberately. Intentionally, and
maliciouly.'
There were other things In what General
Eagan said coarser yet; - coarse that
they have not generally been printed.
All this was s.id because General Miles
had charged that bad beef had been FUR
nished the army. The breach OF discipline
was 30 fragrant that thrill Of horror ran
through the line Of army officers. IL was
supposed that no punishment short OF re-
noval from the army would be inflicted
upon General Eagan.
But no such punishment has been in.
flicted. He has simply been suspended
from duty with no diminution Of pay.
That Is, for the next six years the Gov.
ernment will pay General Easnn salary
| of s., 500 year. and he will render the
government no service whatever. but may
travel for his health or do whatever else
he may please.
Furthermore his term Of punishment
ceases before the age Of retirement be.
gins; 80 that he Will retire at least with
his present rank, aud possibly with the
rank Of major general II he can be as sue
| cessful In getting influence In the iuture
az he seems to have been In the past
Ii he shall retire at his present rank his
retired pay will bo ssi25 year. A man
on the retired list Is ordinarily expected
to render the government no services AS
General Eagan will reach the retiring
age---64 years-a few days after his present
suspension of duty expires, he will prnc-
tlcally render the government no service
from now until the end of his life. IL Is
calcu lated that II he shall live to the age
ex pected Of men Of his condition, he will
recsive from the government nearly
eighty thousand dollars, for which he will
render no service to the government.
This result of General Eagan's insubor-
dination in point OF punishment has
gradually became understood, aud has
created as much wonder as condem nation
1t is considered likely TO be destructive OF
discipline in the army and 10 prejudice
its good fame everywhere, at home and
abroad. or course the lightness of the
punishment, or the greatness of the re-
ward, according TO the point from which
the transaction is viewed, Is attributed 10
the influence of the head of the War De-
partmsnt, and Is accepted rs part OF Its
campaign against General Miles.
Washington has suffered in the last
week n remarkable spell OF cold. On
Saturday morning the mercury fell to
about fifteen degrees below zero, the low
est record within the history of the
Weather Bureau. 1t was ten degrees
colder in Washington on that NOR ming
than 1t was in Portland. This was not -
sudden drop of the thermometer. for on
Friday the record dill not, even und,r the
influence of the noon sun, rise above six
degrees above zero. The inhabitants of
this portion of the land. being rarely sub-
jected to such extremes of cold, are poorly
prepared to meet 1t, and much inconven-
fence and suffering has resulted In ad.
dition TO the cold, the ground Is covered
with thick mantle Of snow. which has
remained ON the ground for many days,
An unusual thing in this land so much
irequented by warm suns and balmy
breezes
Congress win be very busy from now on
with the appropriation bills. Five yet
remain to be passed In the House The
senate Is not up with the House. In the
three full weeks which remain Of the
session there Is hardly likely 10 be much
legislation outside OF the appropriation