Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1900-07-12

inridge at Santiago displayed q
brave American spirit. lie was sat
down upon. Only tie FaIstaIliau
Shafter, five miles from the firing
line, in his hammock, with a cake
Of ice on his head, was copeidcred
as having taken part in Che land
operations which resulted in the
capitnlation OF the Spai ards At
Santiago, and, in part. the cyaca-
alton Of tho island by their govern
ment.
On the sea it was equally as bad.
Our great naval power assembled
in the waters Of the Antilles was
given over to the command Of an
inefficient captain, who. in viola
tons OF the statutes m that case
made and provided, was commits
stoned on "acting rear admiral"
over the heads Of bis superior Off.
GERS in the feet, aud illegally au-
thorizcd TO assume the title and
state OF Commander in.ohief. In
that exalted position he managed
to kill or wound few civilians in
the back settlement OF San Juan,
and to murder mule at MAINTAIN
zas. When the real fghting came,
/ of Santiago, be was missing and
did not materialize until the battle
which destroyed Cervora's squad
ron was over. Yet Dir. Mckinley
has consistently lent himself to the
| Qualification Of this person has
couuteuaneed the bestowal upon
him OF the laurels Of the Santiago
victory, and the persecution Of that
gallant officer who commanded In
and won the engagement.
8
/
The Mckinley administration
/ presents even a darker record in the
Spanish war, in connection with the
scandals Of Algerian. Of Eagan, his
outrageous oiTenso and bis remark
able escape from the sentence 81 q
courimartial, and many other
things Of coguate character. The
country yet remembers with shame
and indignation how the commits
ssriatc Of our troops il the Geld and
ia the filthy fever camps was sup.
( piled. The rotten beef contractors
who are responsible for a vast Gem
etory full OF brave American sol
diots, are not forgotten nor is it
forgotten how their murdcrcrs we're
/ protected aud whitewashed, through
tho Alger relief commission. Some
man or men with great political in
auence had been enriched by this
hideous traffic in poisonous meat
and filthy slaughtorhouse tank re-
fuse, aud had to be shielded.
The country does not need to be
reminded Of the scandals which sur
rounded the purchase by the war
department Of large number of
old yachts, tugs, ocean liners, bar
ges, ocean tramps, scows and tanks,
for use az army transports. For
such vessels the government paid
on an average more than twice their
original value, and, as far as facts
have developed, it does not appear
probable that the vendors received
more than fifty or sixty per cent Of
the purchase money. II is sug-
| gestive that single obscure indi-
yidual accidentally possessed Of
personal influence. who was much
in evidence when beef contracts
we're being made, and transports
bought, is said to have been impe-
cunious at the beginning Of the
Spanish war, and twice a million
aire at it's close.
This history Of the administra-
ton since the peace of Paris is one
Of continued alliance with and sub
seryiency to the trusts and monop-
olies, and Of political favoritism,
colonial Spoliation and general cor
ruption. Otis was sent out as gov
ernor and captain general Of Phil
ippines. Aguinaldo's rebellion fol-
lowed closely. Otis coon began to
conduct himself and his viceroyalty
in such a way that Admiral Dewey
left the Archipelago in disgust.
| Than came a aaaaon of feaaund Inns.