Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-12
rcnons OF orn wAR.

The nomination OF Brigadier General
Leonard Wood to be major general OF vol
unteers is more generally commended, with
the exception Of Dewey's, than any nom
ination made by the president for war serv-
ice General Wood has been remarkably
successful in all his undertakings. He
won distinction as a fighting doctor in the
Apache campaigns; organized and drilled
the famous Rough Riders, and won pro-
motion at their head at Las Guasimas and
San Juan heights His greatest triumph.
however, was won in his campaign against
fevers and filth in the province and city of
Santiago. In his capacity as military gov
ernor he displayed uncommon ability in
bringing order out of chaos, in managing
without harsh measures a people at war
with one another and in Transforming a
pesthole of disease into a clean, healthy city.
The revolution wrought by him in San
tiago is admittedly the greatest achievement
OF American rule in Cuba, and was accom-
plished without megaphone attachment or
literary bureau. His rare modesty and un-
selfish devotion to duty stamp him, in the
estimation of American newspapers, as an
ideal man for governor of Cuba.
Lest we forget the annoyances OF war
the revenue department insists that in
addition to licking and cancelling stamps of
a larger denomination than 10 cents the
stcker shall mutlate said stamp by cut
ting three parallel incisions lengthwise
through the stamp, beginning not more than
one-fourth of an inch from one end thereof
and extending to within one-fourth of an
inch OF the other end" This new regulation
is made necessary by the pernicious activ-
ity of offensive patriots who attempted to
"do" your uncle by laundrying revenue
stamps.
The Philadelphia Record prints letter
dated August /, just received by the father
of northern Pennsylvania boy serving with
the Twelfth regiment in Manila,
which contains two interesting pas
sages. One of them reads as
follows How are the harvest apples
back of the barn? Are they ripe yet? Great
Scott! il we only had them down here-bet
your life they'd taste good" His second
contribution to Philippine literature gives
this view of a much criticised man:
There is a good deal of dissatis-
faction expressed about General Otis. They
claim that he cuts no ice, but in my opin-
ion he shovels the snow off the sidewalk
all the same He hasn't got the dash or brill
liancy of Lawton, but is a cool, careful,
leNel-hedueu man, VINO counts all the
chances before he makes break"
Captain Leary personally" says the Bos
ton Pilot, lis most interesting character.
We have had the pleasure of sailing with
him and do not believe that he has an atom
OF hostility against the frars of Guam, save
inasmuch as they stood between him and his
desire to be the absolute ruler, temporal and
spiritual, Of his absurd little island king
dom. He is Henry the Eighth in mina-
ture. Admirals and commodores have trem-
bled before him when he was their nominal
subordinate; for he is the terror of all COM
manders, natural sea lawyer despite his
epaulets. What next he may do in Guam
the Lord only knows. He is capable of start
ing an Established church, with himself at
its head He is Fighting Captain Leary,
'Scrappy Dick.