Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-06-22

a Republican Outhurst.
In the New York Tribune of last week
Monday has a conspicuous two column
article more than admitting, thoroughly
exposing, all that the Democrats have
claimed of the gross extravaganza of the
present Administration.
The Tribune editor has the sagacity to
see that ii is useless to longer try to cover
up the Administrations grosser extraya-
gances, and will be runious to attempt
denial or defense. 1t heads its exposure as
follows, though in its largest heading tpye:
How the Bureaus Expand" The War
Department Grown into a Gigantic
Mushroom " Civilian Clerical Force
Double that Employed in the Civil war
Some Extraordinary Facts !" and opens
with these paragraphs
AT first the War Department brigadieIs
vociferousiy denied that the troops in the
field endured unnecessary hardships
Eventually, however, the fact established
by two official Investigations was admitted,
and a new line of defence was taken up.
What of it! y exclaimed the Secretary OF
War. If some of the troops did suffer q
little unnecessarily, wasn't it glorious
victory?
Then the volunteer staff officers were
charged with stupidity and ignorance, and
even insubordination. Finally, the mis-
management was mainly attributed to
insuficiency of executive and clerical
force. Oaly within a few weeks has
Surgeon-General Sternberg repeated this
assertion, and also the original charge that
volunteer surgeons were the chief cause OF
the Medical Bureaus inefficiency."
How false was the claim of INSULT
cheney" of clerks, etc, the Tribune writer
then proceeds to show by overwhelming
proofs. 1t makes this astonishing COM
parison
La 1868. under the administration Of
Edwin NJ Stanton the war in which the
Civil War developed to its great proper
tions, when with a million men in arms
the business of the National Government
was far more expensive and uplicated
than ever before or since, the annual
register of the War Department gave the
civilian clerical force, in all the beureaus
as SOS.
May 81, 1897, two months after the
present Secretary of War took Office, when
the country was in a state of profound
peace and its entire military establishment
consisted of no more chan 30 312 men
including the retired list and also the
military cadets and teachers at West Point
the annual register Of the War Department
showed IFS civilian clerical force to be 1866.
Almost precisely double the number in
. period OF peace, as it was thirty four
years before in the midst of great war"
As to the VIGOROUSLY inefficient Medical
Bureau, the Tribune remarks:-
What that mysterious bureau does
with such an array of clerks has long been
one of the conundrums of the War De
partment.n
The Tribune then proceeds to this crush
ing criticism of the Secretary of War
himself
Even before the impulse of war was felt,
Secretary Alger had already given increased
momentum to personal appointments for
which there was no authority OF Jaw and
no need. When installed there was no law
tary. Nevertheless be promptly appointed
one, and had the salary of 50 900 charged
against the war records appropriation
Then be proceeded to infringe further
upon the law.
And the article gives in detail mum
Der of the more glaring instances of this
phase OF Algerism" OF one of the worst
cases ii says
It was done through the easy compla-
isance Of Major (now General) George w
Davis" promoted for beet whitewashing
service.
And of this Davis, and his promotion, the
Tribune article, further on, says
He was not in action once during the
entire war; did not get down to Cuba until
after the enemy bad all been transported
back to Spain. Yet after the muster-out OF
the volunteers he was at once appointed
Brigadier General under the re-organiza-
ton, TO the exclusion Of some of the officers
who, sword in band, had charged at the
head of their troops. Then Fighting Guy
Henry, the hero Of two wars, was relieved
aud Gen. DaYis put in command of Porto
Rico
The Tribune article concludes with an
outburst which in Democratic paper
would be pronounced rank disloyaIty. II
says
Soch scatterbrain energy and misdi-
rected effort, such reckless waste OF money,
are enough to make Edwin M. Stanton
turn over in his grave. And on top of it
all the country is asked; What of it ?'n