Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1899-03-02
GENERAL EACAvtS RE
WARD.

W.4RD.
Brigadier- General Charles r
Eagan, commissary generaI Of the
United States army, has just been
suspended from duty for a period
Of six years to receive the full pay
sfhis rank during the entire term,
which. is $500 per year. The
extraordinary sentence, imposed
upon General Eagan by the pres
ident justly causes people general
ly TO. ask, rs it intended as q re-
ward or q punishment" Under
the laws the president has no au-
thority 10 confer leave Of absence
for meritorioas conduct or for any
other reason apon any efReer Of
the army and aIlow him full pay
during such leave, for o longer
period than thirty days. After
thirty days hsve elapsed one-bak
pay can be allowed which is the
limit under the law. Therefore,
the only rational conclusion that
it is possible 10 draw from the
liberal and complimentary sentence
passed upon General Eagan is that
under the guise Of punishment the
president found the means of con-
ferring upon him mark Of esteem
and favor Of an extraordinary char
acter-
The question VIII naturally sug-
gest itself what brilliant achieve
ments on the part Of General Eagan
has singled him out for such extra
ordinary favor, or what distinguish
ed services to his country has won
for him a reprieve from duty with
full pay for q term that, under the
statutes, the president could not
have bestowed on Grant, Sheridan
or Sherman
When the snswer is received
that the term of six years sus-
pension from service with full pay
has not been accorded to General
Eagan as a favor, but on the con-
trary is the sentence pronounced
upon him by the president as
punishment, in pursuance of ver-
dict rendered by court-martial,
which found him guilty of conduct
unbecoming an officer and preju-
dicial to good order and discipline
10 the army, it becomes difficult
for those not familiar with the
mysteries of the war department
in the conduct of the war with
Spain to understand its meaning.
That President Mckinley should
order high official of the war
department to be court-martialed
for an offense, and after being tried,
duly convicted, and his dismissal
from service recommended by the
court, he should then pronounce
such an extraordinary sentence, ID
certainly one Of the things that is
beyond the ken of ordinary mortals
to understand. The sound nind
and the enlightened conscience Of
The American nation will not recog-
nise this sentenceas q punishment,
and will eagerally inquire further
into the whole matter in search Of
) rational explanation Of this un-
seeming conduct of their chief exc
cutive.
THE question viii naturally sug-
gest itself, what was the offense OF
crime Of which General Eagan was
convicted, and for which he re-
ceives such an extraordinary SEN
tence. The offense consisted in
yiIlifying his superior officer, name
~, General Miles, the head Of the
army, in his testimony before the
commission appointed by the pres
ident to investigate the conduct Of
the war, using low, vulgar billings
gate as follows:
He lies in his throat; he lies in
his heart; he lies in every hair Of
his head and every pore Of his
body. He lies wilfulIy, deliberal-
ity, Intentionally and maliciously."
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