The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-04-27

Miles and the Beef issue.
The argument has been ma de, Da'l II
Is a weak one. that inaslnuCh as Inc
war of the United States against spain
was swiftly successful there shoulo
have been no inquiry into its methods
and no attempt to solve the secret OF
It's mistakes We are told that success
in war is a complete justification; that'
like charity in peace, 1t shoTld cover
multitude of sins. Those VINO make
these declarations aim them chlefiy at
Major General Miles. They condemn
Miles for having raised the c7'balmed
beef issue arguing that II has injured
our beef exports and lowered the dis
ciulinr Of the army. som" of them
even allygo that Miles ought to be
court -martial,d or cashicrCd, because
1t is soldiers duty to suffer and say
nothing.
That kind Of thing win do in an ah-
solute monarchy hut it viii never SIT
we'll i'm u democratic republic. where
tho soldiers come from the pcopl" by
voluntary enlistment and go back
among thc people when their term of
enlistment has expired. Among the
people there is as keen an interest in
the army administration as there is,
for example, i'm the post office admins
tration or in the administration of the
internal revenue departments. When an
American citizen chooses to become a
soldier whether i'm the regulars or
among the volunteers. II" contracts to
do certain things for the government
anG hc has right To expect and his
r,lluw-ritizoi,s have a right to demand
that the government in turn shall dn
certain things for him. He is to obey
orders. ana keep himself in fighting
trim The government is not only t.
ray him bcggarlv wage. but also to
furnish him with good clothing, food
and equipment. The government, it is
true. ought not to he expected to work
miracles i'm its commissary department.
but the people have a right To insist
that If canned meat, for instance, is
to he Il part Of the army ration it shall
be good meat, well prepared and well
Inspected. and not stuff which when
carted to the soldier on the firing line
is so repulsivc in appearance. smell and
taste that he cannot eat it without be-
coming ILL., This is not a necessity OF
any campaign. whether fought on home
grounds or on foreign and no commits
sion or court or high authority can
make the patriotic American people he.
lieve that it is
Whatever may he the shortcominG,
Of Nelson \. Miles-and these form M
proper part of the beef discussion--th,
fact is undSGuisahle that Miles per
formed public service when he col
leCted the complaints of the fightins
men i'm the army and gave them SuCl
prominence as to force from a hostii,
war department reluctant iaVestigd
tion. RiCht there was where the wa
department made the biggest mis- ak,
of the whole campaign. It showed
pique and anger at Miles for doing ai
unavoidable duty when II should hav,
been tn" very first to invite inquiry an,
should have lent Cvory aid to the de
lection Of hluuGors. Th, irquiry whicl
has been made has established con
Clusiv"lv in the minds Of every fair
minded man that the soldiers i'm tn
Santiago and Porto Rico campaign
W"r" mad" to suffer ny inCompetenc
in the commissary department. Tht
canned roast beef and the refrigerate,
beef were experiments and they wer,
experiments that failed They were eX
pelimentS ordered over the heads O
the professional soldiers, who pleade
tor the dispatch of cattle on the hoo
and the blame fOr the failure of thrs
experiments docs not rest uuun an
other shoulders than upon those in higl
authority i'm the war department a
Washington.
The American people are generous t
forgive the mistakes Of their official
when these are frankly aNOwed. The
would bear no i'll win against Secre
tary Algrr Or any OF his immrdiat
advisers If these should frankly acceI
the results of the beef inquiry an
plead thai, rightly or Wrongly. they iii
what they thought was for the hes
But any attempt to shift the responsi
bllity or seek retaliation will cause
storm and it is necessary now 10 hois
weather signal.
Tho 8nnl Af,n.ri.a, II....l ,.l,I l..