The times., 1899-05-09
GENERAL POLITICAL
NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Mr.. Mckinley. wabbrer.-The repor


permitted practically to name the mem
bers OF the Court and that fact was suf-
ficient to discredit the findings in advance
with all fair minded persons. The Court
was directed to ''vindicate" Mr.. Alger and
his unsavory clique and to censure General
Miles and his friends as far as it was safe
TO go. There can be no doubt but that
the members Of the Beef Court oheyed
their instructions literally, but there is
an impression IN military and political cir
cles that they have overplayed their hand.
that they have been too faithful in carry
ing out their orders: at least they have
laid themselves open to the charge OF
bung1ing stupidity. which is sometimes
worse than a crime. IL would require fin
ished artists to exculpate Alger, the War
Department management, and the beef
contractors and condemn Miles and other
high officers of the regular military estab-
lishment without leaving a good many
bare spots exposed to the public. No one
can read the report of General Wade and
his associates and say truthfully that they
can lay any claim to being artistic white
washers.
While no one hardly expected the Beef
Court to investigate the Army scandals
impartially and make a fair and honest
report, there were quite number of per-
sons who. pinning their faith to Mr.. Nc
kinley's integrity. hugged the delusion
that the President would refuse to ap-
prove whitewashing report. There is
no doubt that when the report of the Beef
Court was placed in his hands that Mr..
Mckinley had a spasm of indignation, or
something that resembled it, and declared
that all harsh criticisms of General Miles
must be eliminated from the document.
The official chroniclers at the White House
refuse to state how long the Presidents
fit of Indignation lasted. and it is perhaps
not important in view of the fact that Mr..
Mckinley subsequently permitted himself
to be talked out of it. Mr.. Mckinley will
figure in history as a wabbling statesman
He means to do right. his friends say, and
his intentions are generally of the best,
but he is apparently not possessed Of suf-
ficient force of character to carry them
out. He is not strong enough to cope sue
cessfully with men of the Hanna and AL
ger type.
A few weeks before Mr.. Mckinley was
nominated for President by the Repub
lican National Convention which met at
st. Louis in 1896, the Hon. Thomas C.
Platt. of New York, now Senator OF the
United States, put in concrete form his
estimate of William Mckinley in a series
of personally dictated and corrected in
terviews. In these Interviews" which 1t
was understood at the time Mr.. Platt die
tated to his stenographer in the privacy of
his own Office, one of the chief points made
against the Ohio statesman was that he
was a weak man; was absolutely devoid of
backbone, and that If he were nominated
and elected President he would be. Presi-
dent in name only; he would be merely q
passive instrument in the hands of Mark
Hanna and the members of the combina-
tion that nominated him. Mr. Platt was
allowed to join the Hanna firm and he
has in measure been silenced or "paci
fed" But those who are in position to
know say that the New York Senator has
never been permitted by Mr.. Hanna to get
into the sacred precincts of the inner circle
that control the President. For this rea-
son it is said that Mr.. Platt would be
willing to join In any movement looking to
the retiring of Mr.. Mckinley to private
life that might be presented, provided it
gave some promise of success. But what
ever happens, Mr.. Platts first estimate of
Mr.. Mckinley is likely to become histor-
ical- 1t certainly seems to have been ac-
curate.
Germnny's AttituGe.-The report that
the German Reichstag had decided to pass
a law prohibiting the importation of
American meat products into Germany
created a good deal of comment in politl-
cal and other circles yesterday This con-
templated action is believed to be a direct
result of the beef investigation in this
country. One frequently has to go some
distance from home TO ascertain the real
drift of public sentiment upon any given
subject The Beef Court, after many
weeks Of investigation, has found that
in its opinion the American firms which
supplied the Army with canned and re-
frigerated beef were above suspicion Ac-
cording to the evidence the Beef Court
asserts that the meat packers only sup
piled the regular article of commerce
In another paragraph the report hammers
former Commissary General Eagan for or
dering canned beef for the soldiers, on the
ground that is was almost an untried ra-
tion in the nature of an experiment the
very language that General Miles used
in his report to the President The Beef
Court, while condemning the general char
acter of the canned roast beef furnished
to the Army during the recent war en-
deayorS to protect the American meat
trust The officials of the German Govern
ment are apparently more discriminating
They are about to exclude American meat
products from that country and find their
Justification in the evidence adduced be-
fore our own Beef Courtn This has been
the very thing that the American concerns
have been fighting against and explains the
vindictiveness and powerful hostility that
has been manifested toward General Miles
from the beginning. The latter has been
actuated by desire solely to preserve the
lives and health Of the soldiers of the
United States. The meat trust has been
desirous only of retaining its trade and
has had no regard for the welfare of the
American soldiers. or course there is a
great deal OF talk in Administration cir
cles just now of forcing Germany to ac-
cept our canned and embalmed beef. under
a threat of retaliation, but nothing is like
ly to come of it. The position taken by
the German Government is held to be
perfectly justifabe by the facts. No other
course was open to ii. 1t is believed that
further explanations will be in order be-
fore Germany will again throw open her
doors to the meat products OF the United
States.
Amos Cummings Niews.-Represcnt-
ative Amos Cummings, of New York. has
been in Washington for several days. Re-
garding the minority leadership of the next
House Mr.. Cummings said that he believed
that the contest would be between Mr.. De-
Almond. of Missouri and James d. Rich
ardson, CT Tennessee mo one" Mr.. Cum
mings added, regards Mr.. Sulzer's aspira-
tions in that direction seriously. except,
perhaps Mr.. Sulzer. He has no show what
ever. in my Judgment.
Il think that the Republicans intend to
make James S. Sherman, of Utica, Mr.
Reeds successor. He Is apparently sup
ported by Mr.. Platt and the influential lead
ers OF his party. / cannot. however. but
feel little sympathy for Mr.. Payne, of Au-
hrrn He is an ayoWad candidate for rho