The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-03-20
The Beef Inquiry.

SuppDed with rotten meat mas praC-
tically completed Its hearing of testi-
mony. Its conclusions will be awaited
with interest; but in the meantime the
public has had opportunity through its
study of the evidence as given in the
newspapers to make clear deductions
of it's own.
We reprint elsewhere an editorial
from the Chicago Record summarizing
briefly the facts brought out during the
courts sittings in that city. The Rec
ord is an independent newspaper which
would not indulge in unfair treatment
of the great meat-packing industry
whose headquarters are located in it's
city. but which prints the news fear
lessly and candidly. It's conclusions
coincide with those of the other repu-
table newspapers of Chicago. One Of
these, the Times Herald, whose pro-
prietor is one of the presidents closest
friends, early in the investigation as
serted that Miles assertions had been
disproved, but now revises its prema-
ture judgment in these words: First
Chicago packers did not Chemicalize
or embalm army or other beef. Second
General Eagan, late commissary of
the United States army, is responsible
for the costly experimental use Of
canned roast or boiled beef in the
army. Third--,Chicago packers did not
influence the commissary department
in its selection of canned or refriger-
ated meats. Fourth--The cOmmissary
department under General Eagan was
badly handled the troops either insult
ficiently fed or furnished unwholesome
food, and great suffering and disease
was caused thereby" The Times
Herald adds: The final report Of the
commission will not commend General
Miles for iniudicious talking, but his
criticism of the commissary will not be
found without foundation"
The partisan attempt to hold the Nc
Kinley administration responsible for
this rotten beef business is disreputabe
for a number of obvious reasons. In
the first place, the administration fore
saw these and other perils of Il hastily
declared war entered upon before time
had been allowed for adequate prepar-
alton, and it's whole influence was eX-
erted to defer the declaration either
until diplomacy could solve the prob
lem by removing the immediate cause
for war or until suitable arrangements
for the conduct of the war could he
perfected in advance of the beginning
Of hostiities. 1t was not McKinley's s
fault that in prior years congress had
| ignored the war departments recon-
mendations which, if needed, would
have provided against just such an
emergency a proper reserve supply of
modern rifles, ammunition and equip
ment and a wel-organized system of
bureau administration covering the
| questions of transportation and sup
plies. Mckinley could not make the
| laws he could only execute such laws
| as congress saw fit to enact. Congress
| made no careful preparation and II
would not wait until the president
could. 1t, not Mckinley, is directly
! and wholly to blame; and the official
records show that from the Democratic
| membership in congress arose not only
the most stubborn and ignorant oppo-
| sition to army development, but also
the most reckless and irrational clamor
! for war in the absence of proper prep
| arations.
| In the second place, when war was
| forced, it was not the administration S
fault that the various bureaus of the
war department were in the control Of
incompetents like Stcrnberg and Eagan
men lifted up by the ridiculous rule
| of seniority and not removable either
by the major general commanding the
secretary of war or the commander-in-
chief himself until after conviction on
specific charges before a military court
Specific charges could not be made be-
| fore incompetence had been demon
strated. and after the mischief had
been done it was too late to act We
saw in the closing days of the Fifty
fifth congress how hard it was to get
| the lawmakers to take up army re-
| form and enact legislation putting rea
power into the hands of the responsi.
Bile heads of the military arm. In the
face of the notorious recent revelations
of the gross and criminal inadequacy
of the existing staff system, that con
| gress, which forced the war before tho
president was ready, deliberately re
fused to enact legislative remedy. Il
another sudden war should come to,
morrow the same bungling. tape-rid
den, insubordinate staff system would
hamper president. war secretary anC
commanding generals alike in the exc
cution of their appointed work, anC
would lead to a repetition Of many O.
the shortcomings which are now IN,
subject Of natural and proper publ,
complaint.
The rotten beef served to our soldiers
in trench and camp was logical an,
under the conditions an Inevitable re
suit of the rotten army staff system
which intelligent military men hav,
been trying vainly for years TO get con
gress to abolish. With all his extraor
dinary war powers, not even the presi
dent Of the United States. in o. time O
supreme crisis, could correct this huar,
evil on his own initiative, it confronte,
him with arrogant defiance from tn
start of the war TO its finish, and wheI
he went to congress for relief con
gress refused II and adjourned. Th
pre- sidcEt and lhr administration sim
ply had g. g.. he best they could il
spite Of this @y"at handicap. They dl
rected The Wa1 t0 an incredibly swif
and victorious conclusion, gaining s.
: much that th~ ioudest complaint is a
the magnitude Of their achievements
yet in the operation the rotten stal
!