The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-15
Gen. TILES and Gen. Esgan.

There can be 10 division of opinion
among fair minded men generally as
to the merits of the controversy be-
tween Gen. Nelson A. Miles, command
ing general of the army, and Commits
sary General Eagan. The wonder is
that the politico- military condition of
affairs associated with the war depart
ment should have been capable of pro-
official laxity in the mere matter of
discipline alone as that reflected in the
conduct Of the commissary general.
President Mckinley is reported as
deeply wounded" over the occurrence;
but the executive wound cannot pos
sibly be so deep as that sustained by
the American people when they con-
template the conditions prevailing in
this branch of the military establish
ment of the country which render
possible so free an insult on the part
Of subordinate officer tc the highest
in military rank in the service as re
fiected in the deliberate attack by Gen.
Eagan upon Gen. Miles. A contemporary
appears to find some excuse in the
statement that Gen. Eagan is an Irish
this is an undue reflection upon the
Irish race. The Celtic blood is
acknowledged to be somewhat warm;
but it is none the less comfortable In
comparison with that which flows in
the veins of some Of the Representatives
of the Ansio-SaXon race. Further
more, in this instance the discipline of
the service, if properly recognized.
should have been a bar to any such
exhibition.
The real basis of all this trouble will
be found to exist in that peculiar quail
ity OF debauchery Which up to this time
has proved unseparable from a system
which invites the accretion of political
activities in the conduct of our national
military service. The secretary Of war
is the civil head of his department. In
the nature of things his selection is
based, in larger or smaller measure,
as the eXigencies of the situation may
be, upon his political Importance in the
party which he represents The one
gigantic mistake of Abraham Lincoln
was in his original selection Of a Sec
rotary of war. Simon Cameron had
been a candidate for the presidency
before the convention which bestowed
upon Mr.. Lincoln it's choice Of a NOM
lnee. In the largeness, and at the same
time the simplicity of his nature, he
determined, when making up his cab
met, to select for his advisers those
men who had been his political rivals.
He was cautioned against the choice
of Mr.. Cameron; but In order to allay
all party friction, an important element
at that time associated with the sue
cess of his administration he insisted
upon assigning the Pennsylvaniaan to
the place. But Mr. Lincoln was prompt
III the discovery Of his error and equal
ly prompt in rectifying it by effecting
Mr. Cameron's resignatio when he
was convinced Of the fact that the
money-making proclivities Of the lat
ter predominated over his sense of I'M
selfish patriotism.
MIR. Mckinley had no such reason for
MS selection of Gen. Alger. 1t was a
personal choice. based, it is popularity
belleVed, upon a sense Of personal
monetary obligation growing out Of re-
lief alleged to have been extended by
Gen. Alger to Mr.. Mckinley in a pre-
vfous pecuniary transaction unfortu-
nately involving the latter The impro-
prlety of the choice was commented
upon at the time the appointment was
made; it was emphasized more es-
peclally by the results Of incidents d.
rectly growing out of the conduct of
the war. Some of those Incidents are
associated with the contracts for the
provisioning of the army, the supplies
furnished in connection with which be-
ing now subjects of dispute. The feel
ing has in many quarters prevailed
that influences controlled by Secretary
Alger were largely instrumental in the
awarding of those contracts and that
the commiSSary and quartermas
department officials looked, in the as
sumed discharge of their duties, rather
to the approval of the political head
of the department than to the general
good of the service
Inc attitude of Gen. Miles has been
one of digniffed and almost exasper-
ating reserve since the first intimations
OF departmental troubles were heard;
and it was perfectly patent, when he
went before the investigating commits
sion with his mass of documents. and
was permitted to so promptly gather
these up and retire, that his testimony
was not of the kind that the commits
sion was really looking for. But Gen.
Eagan was moved to indiscretion by
this action and proceeded to denounce
his superior as 'all kinds of a liar"
1t is no wonder that President Nc
Kinley feels deeply wounded" He
had previously directed the secretary
of war to grant absolution in advance,
so to speak. to all those in the service
who should properly testify. In de-
livering his violent insult to the COM
handing general Gen. Eagan clearly
overstepped the limits of the decree Of
abSOlution
The affair is likely to have the eff
feet Of bringing out all the unpleasant
truths associated with the malodorous
business. and doubtless to the disgust
Of Secretary Alger. as well as of the
president himself.