Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-02-16

done his whole duty. He himself had
rendered them every assistance posi-
BILE and said that they would bear wit
ness that he had not sought to infu-
ence them in any manner or in the
slightest degree.
In speaking of the report yesterday
to reporter prominent member OF
the commission said:
The report docs not whitewash. 1t critcises,
but not persons or things not warranted by the
evidence before US We started out with the
assumption that tho conduct OF the war was all
right and then we went ahead to hear and call
witnesses who said 1t was not. The report
represents the honest opinion OF every member
Of the commission. We were unanimous in
adoptlngit say this and am OF the Oppo-
site political faith and don't expect and don't
want anything from the administration
know that every line Of the report represents
my individual view, and II any member tried
harder than did to g0b at and out all the facts,
have yet to see him. There was no suppress
sion or concealment and no point brought out
In the evidence was evaded or CLOSED over
We never met before hearing a witness and
agreed not to examine him or touch upon GER
tain matters that might turn out unfavorably.
Everything that man knew or thought he
knew was the subject Of inquiry, and am sat"
isAed that when the country gets our report in
full there will DO no complaint either as to our
methods or results,
We have questioned more than 800 witnesses,
and the majority Of them had some complaint
that they wanted to relate In no instance can
IL be proved that we have omitted to call any
witness who has been brought to our attention
as having important factA to disclose But had
we desired to "whitewash" the administration
we could have had 6OQ witnesses who could
truthfully testify that the conduct OF the war
was all right OF course there were some evils,
but but they we're to be expected The soldiers
in tho civil war never had hospitals or medical
attendance as good as was given them in the
war with Spain, and their army ration then
was not as eatable as 1t is now. The men who
complained the most Of the food we found
were very generally the militiamen from the
interior States who had been allowed 81 per
head for subsistence stores while they were in
state camps. When they went into the active
fighting they expected the same sort OF thing.
In questioning these men nearly all confessed
to uS that they had always received the army
rauonS They hnd no right to expect more. I
could tell some very funny stories to illustrate
this There were many complaints brought to
us that on their face were foolish and false,
out we went 10 every trouble and expense 10
inquire into every genuine charge.
The report of the commission may
be in the hands of the president sew
eral days before being given official
PRONUNCIATION, to enable full consider
alton of the document. 1t consists of
between so, 600 and So, 600 words. The
references to Gen. Miles, commanding
the army, are devoted mainly to
structures on his course with reference
to the beef issue as covered in his
testimony. In this connection main
point made, it is understood, is as to
Gen. Miles failure to take prompt ac-
ton in reporting on the beef, and, in-
stead, waiting a long period before
communicating the facts to the de-
partment and, meantime, with the
information he gave in possession and
his judgment on the beef supplies
made up, permitting beef he so vigor.
ously condemned to be issued to the
army.