The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-18

IN sncanaAn1fa9
seer..Ae.t psnss ~ IssA =
NE Ineuse1ss -
Years ago. to Russell = Agsr - -
MA uromotion In the amy. ana Ne -
s~ss.Gen1ed foe disnn1nE a. tt -
~ : -. az rapoets,bg thA iAfe 90.
Cusfer. the late Gen. SAss1aan. ana 0en-
wesIev Al. Naeritt. fha country ~
nsver been allowed a ferest that 1Ae1
AfAervnr0. these If0SDs1lnoD aAvsfea
-. Aleee ware rsvsrseds h No. rees -
Is HI rank. and W. honorassY
eAasusa ara 0sn. eAxma1 Ana
Csona gnueeeeaA - rsqtoraticn
reuaember that seeasA fact ~ the news
papera which have nevef Ut Il tor9eS tne
lrst fact. TIE twe fae1a toeetAsr ceneti.
tuto Cen Alger's military history. -
she net record = 10 his credit Juse u0W
Gen. Merritt q under IRE fer lately NV
M Gid . feW stratGAtforward things q
fAvoe q Gen. Algsf. toward wnon n -
appassntly changed his cpinsea- oe
naWupApee attributes hie actiOn @ m
hAaaeul 1n1uence Of impsziaiiAA Anesn-
g Accuses him Of = desire to dispaacs
Miles at the head Of the army.
Tha discovery o. creation Of mean mo-
tives for decent action = not toufnah
hide accomplishment Of which % =
proud, nor VIII it seriously a6lecl the
character a. any public man 1t Whom u
= aimed - . target Gen. Afgers &C.
tioD -. secretary Of war has not bean
without faults. We do. not GO 70 the e.
tent Of connending Il % highly - Can
Merritt does. u should b. admitted. hon.
ever. that Gen. Merritt - likely to know
moro about war and Mr.. Ayers adminis-
tration OF his ofaca than any newspaper
can know. And u 10 certain that Gen.
Merritt has not changed hin character Ia
. night or suddenly become a. hasa -
the reasons ascrtbed to him by the naws-
papsra. to which sufncient reference has
been madA.
Any one who contends that the war
with Spain was not an unbroken series
Of successes errs. Any one who ccntends
hampsred beyond the ability Of the go
Rotary or the president to change Il by
Law. with an awkward system ok organ
i&ation. well enough for peace. but made
QuAte to war. errs. Any one who con-
tends that the department did not In 4
short space Of time marvelously equip.
for practical lighting purposes IN ex.
traordinaYy number OF men, srr& Any
one who contends that general success
errors h also wrong. Any one who for.
gets the character Of Mr.. Alger for hu-
manity. honor. virtue. and patriotism 10
unjust.
We think Alger was overplaced. We
hardly know any man who would not
have been under the circumstances. But
he improved an he went along. and those
who would defame him are a. out OF order
as those who paint him ~ faultless. The
men entitled to most respect on any sub
ject. war administration included, are
those who know most about Il. Gen.
Merritt II the most accomplished ofAcer In
the United States army. He IL as inca
pabls OF fattering Alger or Mckinley for
gain az he II of abusing them for popu-
larity. His words for the war department
and Tor the war. secretary are mot to be
eceoumted tor by any Mewspaps- theory
thai ~ has been moved ~ considerations
Of . corrupt sort. Newspapers That 10
20 account Tor themselves only BY tAst
courSe-an6 the account = = sorry one: r
The Eagle has criticised tho department
q war with plainness Of speech. vnx3ef
the LIGHT OF events from day to day. There
10 no other light for q newspaper which
makes prompt comment In good faith
Such comment Is fair In motive, but Il u
liable to be wrong. for want Of complete
data. and any wrong In Il Is q matter to
regret and TO right; whsn complete data are
received. ANY other view o. Newspaper
work makes q Newspaper dogmatic and
bullying exponent Of -perpetuAted intus-
tice. That Ia role the Eagle would alb
nor. We would rather admit Q mistake
than by adhering TO it persist In an I'm
Justice. We presume Gen. Merritt IL that
sort OF man. We would be sorry were the
Eagle not that sort Of newspaper.