The times., 1899-08-26
now NOT TO DO 1T.
Attorney General Griggs and the
Case of Captain Carter.

sci shall be able to return from Europe,
where he is now enjoying his summer va
cation, has, famed into a blaze the flame
Oh indignation which the Presidents per-
sistent effort to except from operation the
findings of the Carter court-martial had
already lighted up in Army circles
throughout the United States.
The following criticism of this new at
tempt Of the Administration to defeat the
simple ends of justice was made last night
to a reporter for The Times by a gentle
man who is an admitted authority on the
question of courts-m martial in the United
States Army, who has been intimately ac-
quainted with the bureau of the Judge Ad-
vocate Generals office, and who has fol-
lowed the Carter case intelligently from
its inception in December, 1897 down TO
the present hour:
This latest subterfuge of Attorney Gen
eral Griggs," said he, ito postpone further
decision in the Carter case, is at once
weak, cowardly, and contemplate. 1t is.
on its face, an insult to the intelligence of
any man who is well informed on the situa-
ton, and 1t is a confession from Mr.. Nc
Kinley's legal adviser that the Administra-
tion has a higher regard for the convenience
of Captain Carter's counsel Mr.. MacVeagh,
who happens to be in Europe, than 1t has
for the reputation and honor of the United
States Army. Mr.. Griggs practically says
that, so long as Mr.. MacVeagh remains
abroad, the United States Government can
take no action to punish this Infamous
. ty~;.. \. 4ta Hr-f frnn
nice consideration for Captain Carter
welfare had been shown by the Administra-
ton, it might possibly have been pardoned.
But it is not the first instance. 1t is in
keeping with every act of Mr.. Mckinley
in reference to this disgraceful scandal since
the Judge Advocate General, after confirm
ing the findings of the court-martiai, more
than thirteen months ago, sent the case
to the President. In all that time Mr.. Nc
Kinley has made no attempt whatever to
bring this case to a conclusion honorable
to him, to the United States Army, and
to the people of this country. fie and his
Attorney General have shuffied the case
back and forth for fourteen months, have
given out excuse after excuse, explanation
after explanation, and apology after apol-
ogy for their delay in question which
touches vitally the integrity of this nation
and certainly involves the honor Of the
Army.
Gust consider for a moment the Presi-
dents conduct To begin with, he received
this Carter case in July, 1898. 1t had al
ready been decided by an unimpeachable
court-martial, which unanimously ad-
judged Carter grand larceny thief and
sentenced him accordingly, and the find
ings of that court-martial had. after care.
full review. been confirmed by the Judge
Advocate General Mr.. McKinleys duty
was plain and, definite. What did he do?
Did he, as he should have done. attack
this case at once and attempt 10 rid the
Army of the impending disgrace? Did he
busy himself with it Immediately? Did
he show any disposition to get down to
work on a question which involved the
reputation of men living and dead who
had honored the United States uniform?
Did he recognize that this Carter infamy
was staining the Engineer Corps indelibly.
and that it was the Presidents duty to
punish the criminal as swiftly possible?
No! He did none of these things, though
it was his plain duty to do all of them.
What did he do? He waited and fused
and hesitated and explained and enquired
and listened to Carter's counsel and friends
and procrastinated and pretended to be
| considering the case in all it's bearings
All the while the Army and decent men of
all parties were beseechSng him to act. He
did nothing. After thirty days he said:
Really I'm so busy with larger matters at
present that / simply can't take this Carter
affair up just yet And In order to evade
the responsibility of decision he sent the
papers to Mr., Edmunds.
Busy with larger mattersl'" con-
| tinued the speaker Indignantly. Was the
President too busy to receive Senators and
Congressman and listen to the claims for
Office? Was he too busy to sign postoffice
and customs house appointments? Was he
| too busy to have interviews with Mr..
Hanna? Was he too busy to talk with
| Cuban Junta delegations and other Gu
ban representatives? Was he too busy
to make stump speeches in his own
behalf throughout the country? oh, mol
| ne COulu dltcuu 10 all lH6S6 QlRnIy I'M
portant measures, but he had no time for
an insignificant question like the honor
and fair name of the United States Army
81 do not blame the officers OF the Army
| for being incensed. They have a right to
| be- Their reasonable requests have been
| spurned by the President. They have i'm
| plored him to do them the simple Justice
| OF taking this stain off their profession
and he has refused-not once, but fire.
quently and persistently refused to do so.
| 'It does seem useless to protest. Mr.
Mckinley and Mr.. Griggs are evidently de-
| termned to procrastinate in this case until
| this man, who has been convicted of grand
| larceny, can, by some legal technicality. es
cape the just punishment for his crimes
can conceive of no deeper degradation OF
| official position than has been illustrated by
! the Administration in this Carter case. The
President and his advisers have practically
admitted by their acts that the Administra-
| ton has no regard for the honor of the
| United States Army. What a travesty it
| is to hear the President all over the country
| shouting about the glorious flag when each
| day for thirteen months he has succeeded
| in heaping dlshonor and infamy upon the
men, living and dead, who have made the
Stars and Stripes worth living for and worth
| dying for. His conduct. when compared
with his utterances, reveal Mr. Mckinley in
a light the most unenviable possible to a
President of this country. Here was con-
crete case for him to prove how dearly he
really loved the honor of the Army. He
has demonstrated by his evasion in this
Carter case that it is imnlateral to him