The times., 1899-05-07
CARRION BEEF.
A New View OF Presidential Action
on the Report


ON the Report,
Cabinet officer in conversation with
one of the leading Congressional adher-
ents of the Administration, declared last
night that it was not true that President
Mckinley had ordered the Beef Court to
change its findings in order to make them
less obnoxious to American public senti-
ment. He said that while it might be pos
sible that the Court had submitted some
alternative paragraphs which might be ac-
cepted or not, everything had been ar
ranged so that the report would appear to
be straightforward verdict, and that it
would read in that way when it reached the
public tomorrow with the Presidents en-
dorsement.
The official in question observed that the
Administration was too thoroughly COM
mitted to the vindication of Alger and AL
gerism to back down now. To take any
other course, he said, would be TO admit
that Alger must so, and that would pc i'm
possible, considering the peculiar hold that
Alger, Eagan. Hopkins, and few of their
associates have on the powers that be.
retired Army officer who, like all
West Pointers, has expert knowledge of
Commissary Department methods, said at
the Army and Navy Club last night:
Anybody who thinks Alger can be shaken
from his present position must be quite
oblivious of things reasonably we'll pub
lished to the public. The arrangements
through which the Spanish war was made
to be everything but a sorrow to certain
favored individuals are fairly we'll
known. ! Just now saw a victoria and a
splendid pair of horses pass this club
Where did they come from? Ask the peo-
pie who could tell you how much profit
there is in rotten canned beef that has
sweated in Liverpool warehouses for six
years!' n.tt
No said the old soldier, "the Beef
Court was necessity Its findings are
necessity. President Mckinley would
give one OF his arms to be rid of the NOR
tifcation and terror that the situation
places him in. but he is helpless. He dare
not do what every instinct of his nature
makes him want to do. Why? That is
another story. and I hope it will never be
told But the fact remains that the ring
have him foul and you will see that he will
be obliged to protect the soldier polsoners.
even If it costs him denomination at the
next Republican Convention"
The consensus of opinion last night was
that the ring had overcome Mr.. McKinley's
scruples and that he would let somebody
put his rubber stamp of approval upon
report which Will show the country what
1t is. He is i'll and worn out with work and
worry. The work would not have floored
him, but the worry is Algerism, and that
has. He has succumbed to his physical
ailments and has not the stamina to stand
out against his evil counsellors He ex-
pected to lay the ghost of the Army scan
dals by creating the Beef Court. In an
unguarded moment he allowed that tribu-
nal to be constituted as everybody knows
1t was. Instead of mending the conditions
he has made them thousand times worse.
The President is to be pitied. He goes to
his much needed rest bitterly feeling that
there will be an outbreak of national in
dignation when the country realizes what
the Beef Court has done, ignored, rejected,
and defed in the way of conclusive evil
dence concerning the crimes against our
trOops