The Philipsburg mail., 1899-04-28
Agitated Politicians Are Given Some Very
Sound and Wholesome Advice.
MUCH PROSPERITY is ASSURED
"A Sedative Is Needed-Never in Past His
tory Was the Prospect of This Coun-
try So Bright-Cry for Declar-
alton of Policy Absurd.

'ho auiu1ulStIdllOII, ana expressed his
views upon the outlook of national
affairs. The eminent divine said
Never in my time nor in the time
of any living man was the prospect
for this country SO bright. What our
agltated politicians most need now is
sedative. Nothing is going to hap.
pen to this country but prosperity. All
the evil prophesles of the past have
failed. Every decade of our history
has been an improvement on the pre-
vlous decade. do not share in the
agltatlons either of the expansionists
or the nti-expansionists. 1t is absurd
to be impatiently crying out for a
declaration as to what is our govern
ment's policy for the future. They
cannot foresee what will be the best ;
no man can tell now what will be the
best We can no more see what will
be the turn of affairs than we could
have prophesied the explosion of the
Maine or the sinking of Cervera's en-.
tire f1eet with almost no loss to our
selves. L believe that President Nc
finley and his cabinet and the gener
ais and admlrals are doing the very
best thing. 1t is easy for us to sit and
crltlclse, as during the war we sat and
criticised.
The same thing happened during
our civil conflict. We who STAYED at
home knew better how to fight the
battles than the generals at the front.
ana prayers IN those times We're offered
IN northern and southern ppuipits.
which gave the Lord a great deal Of
information as to how the war should
be conducted. information which.
though not used, must have been very
gratifying. The overhauling and de-
famatlon OF our officials and military
leaders at that time was 90 per cent
more than now. People called Grant
butcher and Lincoln buffoon and
Hooker drunken loafer. 1t is very
suggestive to take up the cartoons of
the years between 1860 and 1865.
Names around which we now put gar.
lands We're then bespattered with
mud
"What do you think of the investi-
cations which have been and are now
gong on concerning the conduct of
the warp
well, l think this country always
wants scapegoat, some one on whom
1t can pile abuse and MISREPRESENTATION
and bllllngsgate. No war department
that was ever created could in two
months give equipment, transporta-
ton, food. medicine and shelter to
2o0, 600 men, and have everything 90
smoothly and without mistake. The
simple fact is that some scoundrelly
quartermasters, for whose behavior no
one was responsible but themselves.
sent to the army meat that will stink a
Thousand years. l would like to hear
the name OF some man who as secre-
tary OF war could have foreseen every.
thing that has happened, and who
could have made the necessary appoint
ments without developing here and
there an incompetent. War is pande-
monlum let loose. and no sooner is
war proclaimed than lot Of incompe.
tent surgeons and fool chaplains and
Ignorant officials get their friends to
commend them for positions in the
army. And, acting on what are sup.
posed to be honest and intelligent com
mendatlons, the departments sometimes
unwlttlngly send to the front physi.
clans who could hardly tell the differ
ence between rheumatism and mumps,
and chaplains who cannot speak with
out disgusting the regiment with their
llllteracy, and officers who could not
go through the easiest company drill
IN a city armory. At the time the
Spanish war opened, Washington was
filled with applicants for everything,
and the only wonder is that the war
and navy departments were not oftener
misled.
1.-The fact is that this war ought
never to have occurred. A lot of fell
lows up there in congress kept bowling
for war. but when the war occurred
they did not go themselves, and they
have ever since been trying to defame
and beiittle those who, to the best of
their ability, conducted the war. We
have had the greatest naval officer Of
the century, now Admiral Schley, as
sailed for disobeying orders. and Gen.
Shatter being denounced for being too
fat, and wanting to retreat, and heroic
and unparalleled Gen. Wheeler for
something else-I have forgotten what.
we are all tired of this investigating
business. 1t is costing the government
OF the United States an awful pile of
money. and the only practical result
will be the extingnishment of what
glory this giant of nation won in
thrashing the Spanish pigmy. The
investigating committee had better be
disbanded and 20 into better business
than smelling around to see if they can
find malodor. I never knew a man
in church or state to move for an in.
vestigating committee who was not
himself slice Of embalmed beef.
The question now is, what to do