The evening times., 1899-07-18
TUESDAY, JULY is, 1899.
Our Philippine Disgrace

President Mckinley will now realize the
terrible mistake he made in not abandon
ing and denouncing Algerism year ago,
when the beef exposures were first made
instead of protecting and hugging it to
his bosom as he did. The Manila bomb
shell which yesterday fell into the Admin
istration camp is sufficient proof Of this.
Elgerism is al the bottom of the whole
business. II would not permit the ap-
pointment of a first-class general like Miles
or Merritt to the Philippine command.
The former might gain credit and dis
tirction which would make him a Presi-
Dental quantity; the latter could not be
thought of, since it was he who once made
charges against Alger in connection with a
celebrated tactical movement at Chancel
lOTsville. So, Otis, respectable old ossified
regimental Office soldier, was created Gov
ernor General, and q pretty mess he is
shown TO have made of his mission, aided
by Denby and the two schoolmasters,
He is now seen TO be what the leading
independent press OF the country has be-
heyed for months, but has been unwilling
to assert for fear of embarrassing the Gov
ernment-an utterly incompetent, useless,
and even harmful man. But, for all that
be is not 10 be made the only scapegoat in
the premises. His course from the outset,
which justifies the severest censure has
teen taken and held TO with the full
knowledge and concurrence of the War
department While the press censorship
has daily suppressed or altered and falsi-
fed the messages of American correspond
ents, the line has been open to the militia
ry authorities, and Otis has been able to
communicate freely. To a great extent
since the first Of June, he has confined his
messages to the things he was ordered to
report by his superiors in Washington.
Great surprise is expressed in the War
office at the revelations of the correspond
ents, but, in the higher circle, none is felt.
The real condition of affairs must have
been known TO Adjutant General Corbfn
all along. His son is, or was, in Manila as
a secretary to the civilian Peace Commits
sion. The censorship did not apply to him,
and If he failed to keep his idther informed
as TO the situation from day to day, he
neglected what he was probably sent out
to do. The fact that Brigadier General
Corbin declared last night that the signers
Of the round robin ought to be court
martialed and shot before morning. does
not necessarily prove his disbelief in the
truth of their disclosures, while it does
Indicate the fear, common throughout the
Department, that the days of AIger aad
Algerism; of Otis. DENLY, and Philippine
idiocy; OF dispatches fabricated at Ma
Mia and apocryphal reports evolved in
Washington, are nearly at an end.
For Mr.. Mckinley, the crisis has reached
its climax However much he may wish
to do otherwise, he will now be compeIled
to break with the military ring that has
controlled and nearly ruined his colonial
policy with inefficiency and corrupt favor
itism. Otherwise final disaster to his 10
litical hopes and TO the prospects of his
party stares him bIankly in the face. He
must do something at once to reassure the
country. He must instantly remove Alger
and Otis, place an honest and competent
man in the War Department, and turn ever
the management OF our army in the field
TO its legitimate head, the Major General
Commanding. If these things are not ac
complished within the next forty-eight
hours the President will hear such a shout
of universal disappointment and rage that
his ears will not recover from the shock
until long after his retirement in 1901 to
the wooden cottage in Canton