The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-15

Msu Ycale 11znea

New Yo9k 1lnnea
Gen. wesley Merritt has put upoa reo-
ord two opinions ok Cen Hnnsen A. Az
ser Ono = thfrsy-dvs ysazs Cd. he oehee
but tvU oayN The oAESee WAs thAt Gen
Aleer, then coaooel Of . volunteer regi-
msna. ougAt % - dishonorahay diznassee
from the army for persisient neglect o.
duty. The later - thak Gen. Alger - the
sess ssersEazy q var the sorsd hes ssss
These two opinions are not necassnEiiy
incO0pafi0le Il man may be % constitute
"a - not to - able TO endure the hard
ships Of camp Me and the perfls Of battle
ful Ia m Office where his work b purely
administrative and involves no physical
danger or discomfort. But 1T the Same
time Gen. Nerritrs two expressions ~
opinlen are In rather startling contrast 10
each. other: And Tie later opinion = one
from which. Gen. Merritt can hardly help
knowing. The educated ofdcers Of the
array. OF whom he IL the ranking repre-
sentative. almost unanimously dissent In
the nature Of the case they are the best
tudge& Can II be possible that Gen. Xer-
rift has never talked with any officere
who were IT Tampa when the stan depart
ments. under the nominal direction Of the
best secretary OF war the world has ever
seen, were dumping down unassorted and
undirected consignments OF war material,
a1d converting the. camp into chAoa? Or
has 10 nsver had speech with any Of the
men who fought the campaign IN Cuba
10 there another general officer In the
army. except Gen. Shafter, who has his
own reasons for gratitude to the secre-
tAry, who he imagines would assent to
his characterization Of the secretary or
war?
When u was announced that Gen. Mer.
ri1t had aeoepted the Invitation of the Sec
retary Of var to accompany him to De-
troit. the Announcement was received. es-
pecially among officers Of the army. with
general sympathy for Gen. Merritt and
general indignation against Secretary Al
ger. Such an invitation from the secFe-
tary Of war to an officer OF the army il
really . detail" which an officer who
does not wish to be put on the blacklist
Of the department has not choice but to
accept. But II now appears that though
the secretary may be entitled to the indig-
nation. the general 10 not entitled to the
sympathy. An officer Of the army might
very wen Be- willing to help along the Al
gerine boom for the senatorship from
Michigan. upon the ground that getting
Alger into the senate would get him out
OF the war department, and that II tho
state Of Michigan could stand him as
senator the army and the country would
be greatly relieved But 1t 10 not because
he is such a bad secretary Of war that
Gen. Merritt has consented to help along
his boom, for II seems that he Is bet
ter war minister than Chatham. than Car
not or than Stanton. Even Alger him.
self does not 60 quite as far as that He
describes the erribalmed beef and the can
ned ofYal which nine out o. every ten mill
itary witnesses have sworn that he Issued
to them az nothing to make fuss about.
and much better than he had during tho
Civil war As q matter of fact what he
could get II. was the best that Wizards
hotel could furnish. and he managed to
get Il so often and 90 long AZ to incito
his superior officers. Including Gen Qer-
ritt. to demand his dismissal for shir1dng
their hardships and dangers In the hsld.
But It Is not Gen. Alger that 10 Just now
In question so much AZ Gen. Merritt.
whose remarks at Detroit must have start
led and panied the trained officers Of the
regular army who have been regarding
him a. their champion and representative
The secretary's motive for conciliating him
IL very plain. and there are obvious mo-
tives why Gen. Merritt should consent
to be conciliated. Swift said OF Queen
Anne that "she had not sufficient stock
Of anity for more than one person At =
time" 1t may be that Secretary Aiger
has not sufficient stock OF enmity for
more than one person at a time, and that
he In willing to forget and forgive Gen.
Merritt for showing him MP thirty hve
years ago In his eagerness TO get rid OF
Gen Miles. who Il showing him up now.
Tho obvious Interpretation to be put upon
Gen. Merritts remarks At Detroit In that
that distinguished officer has ceased to
speak as a soldier and begun to speak an
q politician. II II proves 20 be the true one.
his abandonment Of his own profession for
politics will be resented In the army. and
will he sincerely iamented throughout the
country as a lame and impotent conclu-
sion Of an honorable and distinguished ca
reer.