The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-02-03
GEN. MILES
FURNISHES MORE PROOF.
That the Beef Furnished the
Soldiers Was Unfit to Eat.
And No Whitewashing Report
Will Change Public Opinion.
Let Congress Institute an lnYestiga-
ton that Will Investigate,
And Let the Murderers of 0uI
Soldiers Be Shot.

It is time our Government was taking
prompt action in regard to the treat
ment Of our soldiersin the Spanish war.
If the charges made by the highest
officer in the army, by the commander
of every regular regiment in the army,
by many volunteer officers, and by thou
sands OF soldiers, are not true, are fabri-
Gated stories-then they are base SLAM
ders upon innocent parties, which have
brought disgrace upon our Nation; and
those officers who have originated and
circulated these base slanders should be
promptly tried by court martial and dis
missed from the army in disgrace. There
is no escape from this, if the army is
saved from dishonor, and the country
from disgrace. Their conduct, if they
are guilty, has been infamous.
BUT-If, on the other hand, the
charges of these high officers, and of
these brave soldiers are true, the con-
cIusion cannot be escaped, that the
army contractors who furnished this
rotten and embslmed beef to the brave
men who were offering their lives to de-
fend the flag of their country, should be
tried and shot, for Wholesale murde1l
They are just as guilty Of murder, as 'Uas
the aooman IN California aDho sent the pois-
oned candy to Delaware that caused the
death of t,0o of the parties toho ate It!
1t is . fact that much of the sickness.
much of the suffering, and many of the
deaths. among the soldiers was caused by
tho bad meat that was furnished them.
Soldiers who came home looking the
color of saddles, thousands of them,
broken down in health, with liberation
of the bowels and dysentery, owed their
sickness in many cases, as their physi
clans have stated, to innutritious and i'm
proper food. The testimony of chem
lists has shown the presence Of poisonous
Ingredients in the stuff with which this
beef was embalmed; and testimony il
abundant to show that much of thif
beef was offensive and abominable. L
|
who fu rnished this beef are murderers
and ought to be tried and e1 ecuted
That is if Wholesale murder is as great q
crime as individual murder. And tn,
officers in the army, if there are any
who were in collusion with these con
tractors; the officers who accepted sucl
meat and issued it to the men, know
ing its character; should be includes
with the contractors who furnished tn
meet.
| If the country expects its patrioti
sons to rally round the flag when sh
calls them from their homes, she mus
defend them from murderers in the real
while they look after the enemies Q
the country in their front.
There is no escape from one of tn
alternatives we have mentioned. Eithe
the charges are basely false, and thos
who made them should be dealt wit
in the seyerest manner. Or the charge
are true, and the murderers of our sol
diers should pay the forfeit of thei
lives.
f And yet, no resolution has bee
D adopted by Congress to investigat
8 these matters Of such fearful characte
= and no one in authority has sounde
= the rim ging words, "Let no guilty ma
3 escape"
Q We cannot see, after the last chare
: made by Gen. Miles, how Congress ca
] any longer delay action in the matter.
The honor of the Nation is at stalk
t In such an emergency. he who dallies
r q bastard
! No one who is in authority or powe
, can read the charges of Generl
! Miles, can hesitate longer In takin
? action, either to hurl him from his hie
? Office. or to bring to punishment th
murderers of our soldiers.