The evening times., 1899-01-13
FRIDAY, JANUARY e. 1899.
But the Meat Was Bad.

But the Meat Was Bad.
Owing TO the startling phraseology Of
General Eacan before the Alger Relief Com
mission. the public viii hardly pay atten-
zion to his statements as to the merits
OF the beef controversy. He discredits his
own testimony by the most amazing Ian
grage that was ever used in public by an
army officer. II is rs though an angry
pugilist should address a Sunday school.
II is positive that no legislative body in
this country-Eot even a board of alder
men-wouId permit a member TO apply
such expressions TO another with impunity.
General Eagan shows that he has the most
violent extreme, and uncomfortable ami
mostly toward General Miles, and therefore
every reason for discrediLing the state
ments of that officer. His testimony will
be read in the light of these abusive
phrases that are interdicted in the case
OF gentlemen. If there is TO be q trace OF
discipline in the army, no proof of the ac-
curacy of General Eagan's assertions as TO
the beef matter can exempt him from
oUrt-martial and punishment for his eN-
IRENE violation Of one Of the first and most
essential laws of military life. How far
Secretary AIger can protect him. remains
to be seen, but without the favor of that
Cabinet officer, nothing short of expulsion
from The army in disgrace would be his
fate.
OF course everybody understands that
this unprecedented violation CT all usage
is another of the many baneful products
OF Algerism. That the inevitable friction
between the War Office and the command
ing general when politician is made
Secretary of War, should have reached
the stage in which all courtesy is abandon
ed and the heartburnings and jealousfes
find expression in foul language. we may
charge directly to Secretary Alger.
Il is apparent from the statements q
General Eagan. that there was from ti.
first a disposition to annoy and hamper
General Miles, who was alone responsible
fer The success or failure of the Porto
Rican expedition. He was burdened with
commssary officers that were known 10 be
distasteful to him or whom he regarded
as inefficient and it is a natural inference
from General Eagpn's words that these
officers were informed that they We're not
subject 10 the orders Of General Miles as
commissary agents. Anybody can fancy
what the effect Of this would be
The point Of supreme Importance. how
ever, is the character OF the canned beef
supplied to the army by General Eagan.
II cannot be said that ne disproves the
charges Of General Miles in any degree.
He declares that Major Daily lies That
Is not proof. He asks why, if Major Daily
found the beef unfit he did not repo II
at the time TO the Ccmmissary General.
The fact that he did not does not mean
that he lies. That may have been a neg
lect of his duty or he may have had his
own reasons, but, whatever the exp ana
ti0n. it does not establish the fitness of
the meat. General Miles may have been
wrong in his inference that the beef was
supplied TO the army under protensa CT an
experiment Admitting that he was, and
that his statement was reflection on the
honesty of the Commissary General. stiil
that does not prove the beef was good.
The New York editors may be villains of
the deepest dye, lit caly for treason,
stratagems, and spoils, but not even that
confirms the assertion that the beef was
good. The beef may have been made "A
part Of the army ration years age; Gen
eral Miles motives may have been to
ayenge himself for Sights, and he may
have made many orrors-but thsre is
positively nothing in General Eagan's
statement to sustain his hope that when
published it Will Offset the charges made
by General Miles.
For here remains the real evidence which
10 attempt has been made to refute. More
than score of army ofIicers-regfmenta
commanders Of the regular army and the
company officers of one regiment-distinct-
ly affirm that their soldiers refused TO eat
the beef, and that the few who tried to eat
il were made sick by it; that this led them
10 inspect the article, which they found re-
Palsire 10 the sight, offensive TO the smell
and injurious to the health. These are not
ignorant volunteer officers" but officers
OF the regular army, against whose honor
not n word has ever been said; against
whose intelligence and whose knowledge
of rations no charge has been made. They
cannot be said TO have anything to gain
b. nlisrepresenting the facts. To call them
liars would be to insult the common sense
of the public. 1t is not what General Miles
says and not what motive he may have
that chiefly concerns the country, but the
testimony OF score of army officers who
positively assert that they found the meat
too bad for use and fit only to be destroyed
General Eagan makes no attempt to meet