Arizona republican., 1899-07-29
PHOENIX. JULY 20. 1899.
THE INCONSISTENT TIMES.

I1lG 14N1OAN01OI 4-hASO-
The Republican takes pleasure in
reproducing the following extracts
from an article in the Los Angeles
Times entitled 1.-The Critic in the
Ranks:
THE yellow San Francisco Exam
liner together with other saffron-col-
ored sheets, is engaged in the undignl-
fed operation of interviewing private
soldiers, who have returned from the
Philippines, regarding the conduct of
the war against the Filipinos on the
part of Major General Otis. OF course
these newspapers get precisely the
kind of interviews they want, and
equally of course tina interviews
amount to nothing more than in
dividual opinion as given by men who
could by no possibility know anything
more about the campaigning in the
field than what occurred on the par
ticular spot covered by themselves.
While our soldiers are the most in
telligent and the Ibravest on earth.
they are also the most agreeable and
accommodating takers TO interview
ers. They will good naturally permit
the newspaper man with his auger to
bore into them without protest, and
will cheerfuHy agree with the inter
viewer and not infrequently fill him
up with fantastic tales '.jus'5 for the
fun of the thing Again, the fact
should not be forg0t,en-for it is one
known of all men who have served in
the ranks-that the soldier is a born
critic of his super.Ors, and that not
infrequently he is absolutely sure that
he could manage a campaign better
than any general that ever wore hair
In front of Vfcksburg there were
thousands Of critics of Grants policy
of siege who served in the generals
army and who, from day to day, ut
tered to them comrades the most
caustic criticisms of the commanding
general When Sherman marched
down to the sea his critics were car
rying muskets and carbines all up
and down the line, and of course fight
ing like iends whenever Shere was
fighting to be done At Gettysburg, at
Anhetam, at Shiloh, and at every
other point where a military move
ment was made during the civil war,
the critic in the ranks had his say 10
his fellows, and he said 1t often and
a-plenty. =
Critics of this sort are active in all
the walks of life Railroad brakemen
are famous for holding conventions
and deciding that the general man
ager ought to be discharged. the presi-
dent of the company fmpeached and
the board of directors compelled to re-
sign. There is no newspaper printed
that hasn't hundreds and thousands OF
readers who could run the paper bet
Ter IMAM the editor does, or at least
mat do not think they could. and there
Is not a shop, or store, or factory in
America that has not employees work
ing in it who are morally certain thai
the old man. doesn't know his busi
ness, but that they do know it from
the ground up. Every person who is
Iant liar with the working machinery
or the world knows that self-selected
cfltlcs are as plenty AS flies in sum
nler' and that their criticisms are en-
lltled TO quite the same consideration
as dy's buZZing, and no more
me private soldier in the Philip
pines, as in other fields. knows what
goes on Immediately about him. but
ne Is no more competent to Judge as
to the large affairs in connection with
the conduct of campaign than is the
cNtHan critic here at home; and as
Tor yellow newspapers that are wheed-
ling opinions" and views" from men
who have returned from service in
the ranks, they are utterly beneath
contempt, for as rule their conduct
Is governed by political or other mo-
tives that are improper in connection
with military affairs The sane pa-
trlotic, loyal newspaper does not at
tempt to discredit the government nor
try to undermine the nations soldiers
VINO are bearing the heat and burden
OF the day in land that is filled with
discomfort. danger and death, nor does
wisely conducted public journal be-
little the men of the rank and file py
worntng from them expressions that
are always more or less md iscreet and
many timss a reflection upon The con-
duct of soldiers. patriots end gentle
men
The returned soldier. if he be wise.
will not talk unwisely into the ears of
The n-tion's enemies through the mi
megaphone of the yell
lew press.
This is excellent advice But we re-
spectfully admit that i would be ac-
eepted with better grace and be mere
if that journal would be a lit
.Fe more consistent. The constant IN
"a vorab1e criticism of Secretary A,geT
that the Times has insisted on plac-
ng before its readers has furnished
good material for the yellow journals
TO manufacture campaign thunder for
next year. The Times is not the only
Republican newspaper that has given
aid and comfort to the Enemy in this
way Many such newspapers have
been equally short sighted-po5sibly