Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-04-05
Republican Papers on the Army
Inquiry.

hepuDican RaperS on the Army
Inquiry.
That the Administration cannot
afford to let the Court of INQUIRY be
q board of whitewash, as seemed to
be the intention during the proceed
ings at Washington, and TO ignore the
truths about the beef brought ont by
the evidence in the West, is evident
from the stand taken by leading Re
publican papers. The New York
Tribune plainly states that the AID
ministration must acknowledge the
truth of General Miles charges, and
ferret out and punish those response
BILE for the miserable rations. Toat
tempt to ignore the evidence before
the Court and hush up the scandal.
French fashion, would be political
suicide. "They may resist or even
prevent full revelations henceforth,"
says the Tribune, "but they cannot
blot out what is already known, and
any attempts at suppression will only
deepen the conviction that the sol
dlers were wretchedly ill-fed, and
strengthen the suspicion that the ill
feeding was due to more than incom-
petence and was the result of crime.
There is no vindication to be had by
censuring or tying the hands of the
men through whose efforts the over
whelming testimony so far submitted
TO the Court has been secured. The
attempt would only discredit those
making it. The American people
want to know the truth. Whoever
keeps them from knowing the whole
truth must be prepared 10 accept the
peoples verdict on the partial evil
dence they already have of the way
their sons sickened and died, on the
maggoty, unwholesome stuff called
meat, appropriately described TO the
Court as only fit for fertilizer"
Of even greater significance is the
opinion of the Philadelphia Press.
The gentleman who was, until with.
in year, the editor of that paper is
now Postmaster General, and whilst
he may not now be directing the pol
icy of the paper, he doubtless con
ours in the sentiments expressed.
The Press does not mince its words
In denouncing the beef and Commits
sary Department which furnished it.
Some of it's comments On the subject
are as follows:
"The Military Court of Inquiry has
a6undantly su disseminated the charges
OF rotten meat rations originally
made.
There is overwhelming proof that
the canned beef ration was unfit for
use, and that the refrigerated beef
was served in condition which made
it unfit for use and dangerous to
health.
There was nowhere in the staff de
partment, or In the War Department
OF which it was part. the vigilance
or efficiency needed to deal with the
discovery that unfit meat had been
bought; that meat in tin cans which
would have been fit in the temperate
zone WAS unfit for the tropics, or that
the Quartermaster's arrangements for
transporting rations were Inadequate
and perilous to health.
The long. onvincing testimony be-
fore the Army Court of Inquiry has,
SO far rs the public is concerned, com
promised the entire work of supply
ing the Army with rations, and the
country anxiously waits for findings.
orders and trials which will establish
an individual and personal response
bility. Justice requires this, and
nothing short of justice will satisfy
q country whose troops have been
poisoned In the fed by an incompe-
tent commissary staff at Washington"
An important point in the quota
ton from the Press is that it points
pretty straight to General Eagan as
the man who is most directly respon-
Hble. On the occasion of his Win.
perative outbreak, there was much
disposition to temper censure of his
conduct with sympathy for him I'M
der the charges which caused his
outburst, and President McKinley's
Communication of Eagan's sentence to
farcical punishment was capable of |
no other Interpretation than that of
general endorsement by the Admin
iLtration of the offenders official con
duct. But an accusation of guilt
from paper the recent editor of
which ia a member of tho Nab;oo.