The record-union., 1899-07-28

with it's management and to criticise
adversely the commanding General
And this by no means discredits the
intelligence or loyalty of the volunteer
soldier. 1t simply proves his independ-
ence and boldness, for despite his ao-
verse criticisms he fights just as We'll
According to thousands of soldiers IN
the civil war Grant was plunderet
and a butcher, Sherman fool and
madman, Thomas IAN old poke. IN
those days the newspaper men learned
that they could always get any SORT OIL
an interview desired from the soidler'
He is the most accommodating Of indl-
yiduals, and so much so that ne ne-
lights to give the interviewer just wnae
he wants. Sometimes, indeed frequent
ly, the soldier takes world Of run IN
..filling up'' reporters with stuff
While they agree with the interviewer
readily and never deny their inaolhty
to criticise, they are often sei1-ah-
nounced master managers Of campaigns
and can give their commanders point
ers by the handful how to win victories.
This characteristic of the American
volunteer is we'll known, and by none
better than the volunteers themselves.
Indeed there was never yet so mucn
as street parade by the militia tnae
a number of the men were not 1ouhu
declaring that they could have man
aged it better, while criticism IN the
ranks of the commanding officer ran
like water from a tail race, ana from
the militia in the main American Sol'
,unteers were: drawn for the late war
with Spain.
Assuming that the Examiners re-
ports of what the soldiers say are true
and it is a violent assumption, since
it is we'll known that the yellow cham
pion never haggles about accuracy, and
seldom hesitates to make men say IN
print what they never uttered by mouth
the soldier criticisms of General sOtls
given through the columns of that pa
per are ill-timed, on the face Of them
in bad taste and in view of the pro-
verbal criticism in the ranks, value1ess.
The soldier cannot know as we'll as
the commanding officer what may and
what may not be done. He cannot
know the full reason for any order. Al
best he can only surmise. Commanders
are not accustomed nor are they per-
70 fO
the plans Of campaign. nor the reasons
for it. The responsibility is upon the
officer, not the men. hence the latter
cannot fairly criticise him.
We have as high regard for the Amer
lean volunteer as any one can possibly
have. We know him to be courageous,
loyal fearless, untiring and faithful,
and to be intelligent, and Independent
by a trifle too much: but we are not
blind to the fact that he is, as the Los
Angeles Times we'll says, a born
critic and ready to explain at any time
just how the thing ought to have been
done-"after the battle is over
Governor Bofes talks of our going to
the Philippines to meet the Filipinos
as friends and now the nation is max
ing his poor heart bleed because IL is
shooting down these same Filipinos
as enemies. All which is stuff and non
sense We went to the Philippines
solely to meet the Spanish as enemies.
And we found them. We bought the
Spanish out and whipped them out and
took possession of the purchase. The
Filipinos interfered, assaulted US and
provoked war. That is the long and
the short of the whole matter. Let
them submit to our authority and We
will do by them far better than they
can do by themselves. and that will
stop the bleed in poor Mr.. Boias'
heart.
SIXTY-FOUR AND .NINETY-NINE.
General Otis may be the incompetent
he is charged with being, since it is
possible for any man to prove a dis
appointment We are neither his cham