The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-09
Disgrace to the Army.

4
The restoration to duty of Brig Gen.
Charles P. Eagan, who was sentenced by
court martial to dismissal from the army
| in disgrace, dishonors and insults every
self-respecting man in the service. That
he Immediately applied for retirement
does not better matters. He showed him
self at the time OF the 'embalmed" beef
| investigation to be foul-mouthed black
guard, and the judgment of his fellow
omcers was none too severe. That 1t was
robbed of much Of Its effect by the Presi-
dents modification of the sentence can
| only be attributed to an ill-advised sense
Of lenity.
! General Eagan's effrontery under pun
ishment has been almost as offensive as
| his original breach of decency and disci-
| pline. Instead Of feeling humiliated. as a
gentleman would have been, by the YER
dict Of his peers, he has had the audacity
to attempt to dictate terms, to the Secre
| tary of War. Only few days ago he gave
Secretary Root to understand that under
| no circumstances would he apply for re-
tirement unless he were first restored to
duty. Unfortunately. the circumstances
conspired to help him, for since General
Eagan's suspension Colonel Weston, AS
sistant Commissary General Of Subsist-
ence, has had to discharge the duties and
perform the work of the Commissary
General. who drew his full salary and re-
tanned his rank. although ostensibly in
disgrace. The injustice suffered by Colo
mel Weston and the other officers who
would gain promotion in case of Eagan's
dismissal or retirement worked to Ea-
gan's advantage. and tended to promote
any compromise that would get him out
Of the way Of their ambitions. 1t is to be
deplored that the desire Of. these officers
for higher rank and larger salaries should
have blinded them to the harmfulness of
aiding a rufian Of Eagan's type TO leave
the army with a clean record.-Philadel-
phia North American.
The President's Responsibility.
The deepest shame of the Eagan scan
dal is that this convicted blackguard was
able to dictate to the President the terms
on which he would consent to be set aside.
In his foul attack upon General Miles he
was defending the Administration and It's
friends. and there are abundant instances
to show that the Administration would
not have rebuked him II It could lave been
avoided. But Eagan brought himself
within the grasp Of q military court. COM
posed of honorable officers. who Judged
him unfit for association with officers and
gentlemen and sentenced him to dismissal
from the army.
Eugan was in position to threa ten that
if he was made to suffer, others should
suffer with him. and the frightened Pres
ident yielded to the pressure and COM
muted the sentence to leave of absence on
full pay, which carried no penalty what
ever, and left Eagan still member of
the army that had disowned him.
When the Secretary of War who had
replaced Alger found that the practical
work of the Commissary Generals Office
urgently required the appointment of
some one else to the position which Eagan
still held. though he did not occupy it,
a special act was proposed for his retire
ment. This did not suit Eagan. who
again appeared in Washington demanding
restoration to the service as the price of
his continued silence. And the President
once more surrendered at discretion.
wiped out all that remained of the pre-
tended penalty, and restored this creature
to "a status of duty only stipulating
that he should then accept honorable re-
tirement.
Thus Eagan's silence upon the beef con-
tracts and the other terrible scandals of
the Cuban war was purchased Nv the
sacrifice Of the honor of the army. The |
Administration dared not punish Earau
He knew too nuch.-Phila delphia Times.