Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-05
WEDNESDAY,. APRIL 5, 1899.
THE BEEF COURT.

1t is not to be denied that the beet
scandal court of inquiry has brought out
telling array Of facts in confederation
OF General Miless charges. 1t has been
in respect Of this matter an agreeable
surprise TO the public. So far as is con-
cerned the direct issue raised by the COM
manding general, the testimony has been
much more TO the point than the people
had any reason to expect 1t would be.
The war investigating farce gave little
reason for anticipating any tangible de-
velopments before the beef court AS it
Is. however. the testimony fully sustains
Miles. 1t can be no longer questioned that
much of the beef furnished to the army
was unfit 20 feed TO dogs.
However Miles has no reason to thank
the court for his vindication. 1t is plain
10 all who have followed the Enquiry"
that a great deal of the testimony in
support of Miles was the result of the
courts having leaped before it looked.
1T couldn't help this testimony's coming
out. But it seems that the court has
been able to prevent the getting in of
evidence on point on which the public
are as much interested as they were in
the specific charge that putrid and chemi-
cally-treated beef, and beef fibre from
which all the nutriment had been ex-
fracted. were supplied to the army.
For the most part the little fellows as
ISOLATED with this criminal jobbery are
known. But there is no doubt that these
have been largely only the middle men.
the agents and the tools of others higher
In authority. The people are deeply con-
cerned TO know who are the exalted prin-
cipals In the transaction. And just here
the court of inquiry has been as success
full in shielding the greater culprits as was
Mr.. McKinley's war investigating COM
mission.
On several occasions the beef court has
had an opportunity 10 elicit the inforna-
ton as to this matter so much desired
by the people, and which Is their right.
All that was necessary was for the court
TO have INDUCED in little inquiry that
would have inquired. There have been
several witnesses before it who invited
pressing TO tell all they knew as TO the
fountain head of the corruption, but in
all such cases the court suddenly discov-
cred that its curiosity had been satisfied.
The other day Eagan, who is now abso-
lutely Independent. having, thanks to the
President. nothing TO do and plenty of
time to do 1t in, and that, too, on full pay,
stated to the court that he was Obliged
10 give the beef contracts to the canning
and rcfrigerating firms, and another wit
ness testified that Eagan had told him
that he was not free agent in the mat
ter of the beef purchases Here was a
golden chance for putting a leading ques-
tion to Eagan-for asking him the names
of those who held him in bondage Even
had he not been disposed to answer i'm
mediately, IL is certain that, considering
Eagan's peculiar temperament" the |
court could finally have worked him UP to |
making clean breast By exercising |
1.-THE of the adroitness il has shown IN |
switching witnesses off when they were |
inclined TO go behind the specific issue. |
The court could have evoked from Eagan
an outbreak that would have been highly |
picturesque. interesting. and valuable.
but II was clear that the trail was get
ting too fresh for the tribunals purposes.
and the only encouragement Eagan re-
ceived was encouragement to halt.
So 1t is apparent that In It's relations
to the arch jobbers and ringsters, the beef
court Is as much whitewashing cabal
as was the Misunderstanding commission.
The record OF these bodies demonstrates
conclusiyely that the only hope OF reach
ing the original source of the pollution
whose faint is perceptible in such a null
titude of things connected with the man
agement OF the war rests in the probing
Of that management by an impartial com
mittee of Congress. And the Democrats
Dwe II TO themselves and to the nation
80 insist upon the raising of such a COM
mittee until 1t shall have become an ac-
complished fact. and the way shall thus
have been opened for making a 'clean
sweep OF the rascals" OF both high and
low degree.