The evening times., 1899-01-04
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 4, 1899.
The Truth of the Matter.

The Truth of the Matter.
The rotten meat situation is quite clear,
although to the casual or hurried realer
it may appear 20 be complex. There are
already three real or pretended inyestiga-
tions afoot One. only. is genuine with
a disinterested purpose 10 get at the
truth, which, however, is not in doubt.
The other TWO are mere wh.tewash af-
fairs.
The inquiry begun by Inspector General
Breckinridge is the only proper one 1t
is carrying ont the instructions of n
eral Miles to add 10 the already over
Whelming and convincing proof that the
canned fresh beef supplied to the army
was unit for use and sickened those who
ate OF it; to learn why the Commissary
Department imposed such stuff, al great
expense, on The army, and why al enor-
nous quantity was sent 10 Io!to Rico
after the Secretary Of War was informed
by the Commanding General that he
could get fresh beef Oh the island at half
the price and Of good quality. Naturally
there is a suspicion that somebody wEo
should have protected the interests of the
Government and the army had a money
interest in the contract Ii is said that
Secretary Alger added this unfit meat 10
the army ration; and that he withheld
from the Commissary General the request
OF General Miles that no more should bs
sent, and allowed another large cargo 10
be carried over. to be dumped into the
sea al last in order 10 save mankind from
its pernicious influence.
The board of survey appointed by Sec
retary Alger is boldly and shamelessly
charged with investigating not the outrage
and commercial treason, and perhaps cor
ruption, involved in the purchase of vast
quantities Of this repulsive, unfit and dan
gerous article. but with investigating Cen
eral Miles for his exposure Of the ofense.
40 person Of ordinary Intelligence can
fail 10 understand the distinction. The
first and the plain duty Of a right minded
Secretary Of War no one can doubt. Here
is charge made by the Commanding Gen
eral that enormous quantities OF rotten
meat had been sent 10 the soldiers al more
than double the cost Of better article 10
notified the department to send no more
hundreds Of thousands of pounds reached
the island and had 10 be destroyed. In
proof of the foul character Of the meat he
presents the testimony OF every regimen
tai commander, Of q commissary sergeant
and of chief surgeon. What should the
Secretary Of War do? Why. every intelli-
gent man Will say that he should appoint a
board to learn who made the purchase
who was interested in forcing The ration
on the soldiers and what steps should be
taken TO prosecute the firms which sup
piled the meat. The Commissary General
should be suspended until he could prove
his innocence of any personal ulterior mo-
tive in accepting such provisions What
does Secretary AlgeT actually instruct his
board to do? Why. To find out what Off
Ger ordered the destruction OF the cargo 1
and why he did not compel the men TO |
eat it. Clearly General Miles is under in
vestgation for guarding his soldiers and 1
for exposing the huge scandal The in |
quiry is TO be secret. There IS but one in |
ference TO be drawn from this. and the |
public will draw that one. President Nc |
Kinley's Administration is seated on |
fearful results.
AS to the alleged investigation of the |
humbug Alger Relief Commission the pub !
lie can have no delusions. The astounding |
frankness Of one Of its members makes |
any mistake impossible He stated that |
the Commission would take up the scan |
dal because il is awful. What is awful- |
the attempt to feed rotten meat to our |
country's brave defenders? Oh, no: but |
the exposure of the thing by General |
Miles. The Algerian beard is Indignant
not because the Government pays twice as |
much for an unfit and nedible ration as
was needed to buy perfectly fresh ar
Jicle, and not because the stuff imposed on |
the soldiers made them ill-but because l
the exposure of the hideous truth by Gen |
eral Miles is calculated TO injure the bust |
ness of the rascals who sold the vile arti- |
Gle to the Government The Algerians af- |
irmed that General Miles charges must |
be disproved absolutely presumably |
without regard TO the fact.
For of the fact there cannot be the |
faintest shadow of doubt-the fact that the |
meat was shocking 10 the sight, having the |
appearance OF an embalmed corpse. was |
repulsive 10 the sense of smell, was sick |
ening to the taste and produced diarrhoea !
and dysenteTy when eaten by the hungry |
soldiers. Nobody with the least regard for |
his reputation as a person of good sense |
will pretend to dtscredit the testimony /
presented by General Miles This is the |
evidence Of regular army officers of long |
experience than a score of them |
who could have no conceivable reason to |
periure themselves or in any way misrep- |
resent the truth. There is evidence that |
after General Miles had informed the Sec |
retary OF War that no more such meat |
was wanted. as he could buy cattle in |
Porto Rico and that the beef purchased |
there cost only six cents 4 pound, a cargo |