The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-01-19
ARMY CONTROVERSY.
Miles Apparently Waiting on
War Department.
IS EAGAN X Mpr FROM ACTION
War Investig tiing Commission Consid-
cred His Language an Anrout Upon
Itself Rejected His Testimony Gave
HIM chance TO T,n u Down.


abatement in the interest exhibited here
in all thejncidents connected with the
bitter attack made Thursday by Com.
missary General Eagan upon General
Nelson A. Miles. AS might have been
expected, a matter of this official con.
sequence was sure to attract the atten.
tion of the president and i'll consequence
a greater part OF the session OF the
cabinet was given TO its consideration.
The principals in the case, Generals
Miles and Edgan, contributed little TO
the controversy, but the war lnvesti.
eating commission acted promptly to
redress the aliront put upon the board
itself, as the members regarded it, con-
tanned III the excessive language used
by General Eagan.
The COMMISSION regretted that Cen
eral Eagan proceeded as far as he did
and 1t was explained that the vitupera.
tive nature OF the testimony was com.
plete surprise to the commission and
that but for the rapidity with which
General Eagan read his long statement
and the absorbing vehemence OF It's de.
live y, he would have been checked at
the time. one member OF the commits.
sion said that he was about 10 move
that the witness be called to order, but
decided not to-, believing from the
heated way in which Eagan spoke such
peremptory action might precipitate
some controversy.
The rejection Of the testimony as it
stands was unanimously voted at the
executive session preceding the public
session. AT this time there was consid.
cradle discussion on the point OF the
use OF such language as taking advant-
age of the witness stand, but the gen.
eral opinion was expressed that the
course taken in not interfering with the
testimony during its delivery and then
carefully considering it's propriety was
the best. Az the time of the creation
OF the commission, the president IN IN.
| structing the commission verbally as.
sured the members that ali witnesses
would be immune from punishment tor
| what they might say before that body,
but members OF the commission said IL
never was intended to indulge such
language as tnat given utterance to.
What further Steps may be taken in
the matter, save as to the acceptance OF
rejection of revised statement If one
Is submitted lies without the scope OF
the commission. IL the statement Is
returned with the vituperative and OBJ.
| jectlonable language entirely stricken
| out, and with only temperate and con.
servatlve language used, the commits.
| sion Will accepG 1t ana consider 1t as
| any other testimony. While the action
taken was unanimous, there were three
absent members, PRESIDENT Dodge,
| Colonel Sexton and Ex-Governor Bea-
yer, two beng Ill with the grip. and
oGner, Governor Beaver, having GusI.
ness III pennsylvania, detamlng him.
| Colonel Denby, the eX.mlulster "a
China, presided and at the executive
session, expressed himself very vIgor.
ousiy, dispatchlng Mayor Miles, the OH,
clal recoruer, over to CommlssaTy Gen,
eral Eagan with the rejected testimony
immediately after he had signed the
accompanying letter. This was signed
during General woods testimony auo
was made public immediately after the
papers had been placed i'll Genera
kaSan's hands.
Following was the letter:
WAsHINGToN, Jan. 10.
Brigadier General q. 4. Eagan, Commissar,
General, War Department.:
| SIR-Me respectfully inform you that afte
your testimony was read yesterday, the fol
lowing resolution was unanimously passed:
Moved that the commission receive Gen
eral kagan's testimony without comment, tina
sideration by the commission" Carried.
| Having now considered the questions In
volyed we have determined that in many In
stances the vituperative language used by yol
| was not such as ought to have been addresset
| as o witness to tins board We think the per
sonal attacks and irrelevant statements con
tanned III the papers submitted should be elm
mated and before receiving it US testimon,
we request that you will revise its lang ua =
and II you choose resubmit il for our consid
GRAFTON. We herewith return your papers.
Very respectfully,
CHARLES Danny, Vice President.
General Eagan's friends did not hest
tate to intimate that he would expung,
the Objectionable language, but h,
would say nothing Tor himself and any
intimation on that score must be OBJ
tanned from the board itself.
The war department officials were
not yet clear as TO what would be- tht
effect of a Withdrawal or modification
of the statement One element helC
that, officially, the record failing &c
show that any Objectionable Language
had been used there would be no lie,
offense. Another took the view thai
while the amendment of the statements
would mitigate General Eagan's offense
it would not wipe it out.
Another aspect of the case was the
bringing forward OF the plea OF eNemp
tion which guaranteed, i'll the name OF
the president, all of the witnesses be
fore the board from the consequence,
of what they might say. But again the
officials were divided, and this was also
true OF the members of the cabinet, a,
to whether the exemption could bt
claimed III this particular case.
Meanwhile, General Miles was ap
parently waiting for the war depart
ment to act, taking the position that Il
is incumbent upon 1t ana the war com
mission TO protect the army from such
attacks.
1t was expected that the taking OF
testimony, except that Of Surgeon DAILY
the author OF the most vigorous re-
ports on chemical beef treatment
submitted by General Miles to the com
, mission, win be concluded by the mid
, die of next week. DIR. DAILY was. i'll and
J his testimony will be taken later. Gen
! eral Humphreys may be heard.
Ii was stated as very likely that th'
commission will have framed aud com
> pleted Its report and concluded its in
vestigation III about fortnight from
/, next Monday.
4