The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-24
NEW ISSUES SETTLED
ARMY ABUSES AND EXPANSION TO
BE FOUGHT OUT AT THE
POLLS
WRONG STERNLY QUESTIONED
Glamour of War Has Given Way to
Sober Second ThOuEkt--MiIes
Emerging From His Conflict
Stronger Than Ever-Sentimen
Turning to Schley-Hawaii an
Object Lesson.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-(Spscial.)-
The Fifty-fifth congress, like poor Bar
kis in Dickens novel, David Copper
field" is going out with the turn Of
the tide The sober second thought of
the people is solidifying into fixed con-
viction. When congress met in Decem-
Der last, the glamour of the war pre-
vented clear and critical vision. En-
thusiasm was accepted as fact and
manifest destiny as unanswerable ar
gument. Now, wrong, however allur-
ing, is sternly questioned. The abuses
of the army, nepotism, favoritism,
bureaucracy and corruptism and our
relations to the Philippines, militarlsm,
imperialism and contempt of the con-
stitution, from being mere incidents of
a glorious awakening from insularity,
have become the irrepressible issues of
a national campaign.
The Democrats Of the Fifty-fifth con-
gress did patriotic service last spring,
in voting $50, 100000 for defense; in their
consistent md incessant attack upon
these evils. this session, they have
wrought even a greater good for pre-
servation.
ing for better things may be seen on
the Republican side, although there it
is disregarded and impugned. As sig
nificant, perhaps, as Senator Mason's
fiery insistence which forced the adop-
ton of the McEnery resolutions, is the
amendment offered by Senator Proctor
to the army bill, which provides that
when q vacancy occurs in the staff de-
partments a line officer shall be detail
ed to fill the vacancy, but shall not be-
come a permanent member of the corps
and may be transferred back at any
time This is a direct onslaught against
that citadel of bureaucracy; the tenure
until retirement, which is the unwise
and unrepublican privilege of the
heads of bureaus in the war depart
ment. Of course, there is no possibility
that this amendment will even be con-
sidered; but it is a sign of grace even
as the proposition of the majority to
make Adjt. Gen. Corbin major gen
eral is proof that Ephraim is going to
stick to his idols.
ANOMALOUS REGIME.
On the theory that he who exercises
power should have rank, this latter
proposition may be justified. Under
Algers anomalous regime, the adju-
tant general, who, in the purvieW OF
the law, should be purely miniSte-
rial officer, a chief clerk in short, has
aTrogated and assumed Independent
authority. He has acted "by direction
OF the general commanding" in matters
OF which Gen. Miles has remained in
total ignorance. Recommendations Of
his chief he has pigeon holed and ig-
nored. He has been an executive de
facto if not de jure. But, If the re-
ward should be his, so. too, should be
the responsibility. By his confessed
short-sightedness in not perceiving the
imminence of war, he made military
confusion, delay and distress absolute
ly certain. BY his example, he encour-
aged Eaganism. And yet he has been
excused, pampered and approved in
his assumptions, while successive tor
lures have been applied to Gen. Miles,
as if to conquer him by wearing him
out Army reorganization, indeed;
what the people are coming to demand
is army reform!
But the more Gen. Miles is racked,
the more the unselfish and noble quali-
ties of his nature become manifest.
The harder his enemies strive, the
more they fight on his side. His ap-
pearance before the court of inquiry
was that of a man firm in the integ-
rity of his purpose; and his simple,
straightforward evidence, devoid of
bubble or qualification, ratified his ap-
pearance. His statement was fuller
than when before the war commits
sion; for his opinion of the quality
of justice which would be meted out
by that already forgotten body may
be judged from the fact that he