The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-05-09
EsDAY, MAY 8, 1890,
TuE NEEF INQUIRY,

After weeks OF weary waiting, dun
lug which tho public became very tire
OF the long. drNwn.out investigation a
10 thu character Of beef furnished til
soldiers IN Cuba last summer, tho 70
port Of tho commission has at last beel
made, u synopsis Of which Ia printed II
another column, Reduced to q few
words, tho substance Of II IL that Gen
oral Miles was mistaken ~ to tho 10
frigcrNted beef having been troatot
with chemicals, but TINT no was cor
rect In his allegations that the canueG
beef was unsuitable for food ~ used
on tho transports, That IN all there II
10 ~, except that the report establishes
THAI the meat packers furnished the
sumo quality of beef 10 the army ~
they sold to the general trade, the
board of inquiry recommending that
no further proceedings BIO taken IN the
promises General Miles IL censurod
tor not NOTIFYING tho secretary Of WAL
when no first discovered that tho beef
WIS not u 1T ration, and General Egan,
thu ex,oommissary general, IL criticised
fm the 100 extensive purchase OF
canned beef a. M untpiod ration,
There IL not, In tho entire report, q
word Of censupe or criticism Of seore'
tAly OF WM Alger, nor u particle Of
evidence To show TINT no had any
knowledge Of tho unfit condition Of the
beef, " oonld not be shown, either,
that General Alaer Wrotted to the ex'
tent Of u single penny by the purchase
OF tho beef, or that no had any personal
interest whatever In tho contracts, aud
Tins tho contention OF tho enemies Of
President Mckinley -thNt the admins,
Matim was guilty Of poisoning tho
soldiaIs, and that tho government had
seen robbed in the purchase of the heef
falls 10 tho around,
" N not surprising, 10 II sensible per-
sou, that both tho refrigerated and
canned beef became tainted when on
posed 10 tho tropical climate Of the
south and tho only criticism of the war
department that can ha Justly INDUCED
IN Ii that " %endauvovad 10 faed tho s0l,
diess too we'll, Not that they were not
entitled W tho very hast food that could
he ohtainad, but II WINS anwisa 10 at'
tempt 10 keep heat In good condition
when " necessarily had to be exposed TO
thu burning southem sun
The democratic organs, no doubt, ara
disappointed that tho inquiry did not
develop that gross abuses eSisted IN
the war Department, M democracy only
thllyes on misfortune and scandal, hut
tho a~NtAaonlstio newspapers will oonr
Time their efforts 10 poison tho minds
Of Tho pannla AGAINST tho admipistrar
tlonr That N tho NsuM method Of tho
daMapFatn press, no matter what tho
Faoopd may show, hut " will not he
ahla 10 deluda tho people into the be-
lief that Uncle Sam WAS NnmlNdfnl nj
thu ooMfort of his tFoaps in tho field
dNplAa the Spanish wm, They will
IemaMhW that tho mortality was fur
lass w M army NJ AGO. 1000 men than tho
history NJ tho entire world can show,
W elthaV ancient az modern warfare,
and that thu results accomplished IN
loo days are tho marvel Of all civilized
NAlipna
VhN Aam0pFNIlN Altempt 10 hpllllle
lAst SeAF's WA, w fapt, IL a fat failure,
and only recalls tho historical fact that
II Went oH record. thirty odd years aaa,
W faVorlna aeplWing the war af the TO-
hnlllnn \ failure and tNpNing over the
government Ia Ihn southern poNiedNraay,