The National tribune., 1901-07-11
THE s1oKLEs-RvANs CONTROVERSY.


Gen. Daniel E. Sickles is entitled to
and is receiving the warmest thanks from
the veterans all over the country for the
splendid, manful fight that he has made
in regard to Commissioner Evans.
In spite of all that the soldier-hating
papers, and those which are over-quick to
rush in the direction that official favor
shall point, may say, the controversy has
been of great benefit to the cause Of the
| veterans.
| Even Evans can no longer pretend that
| the opposition to him is confined to the
pension sharks" The President and the
public now see beyond doubt that every
veteran, and every friend of the veterans
| throughout the country is profoundly dis
satisfied with Mr.. Evans, and desires his
removal. They have never been so I'M
animous and so outspoken on any enc
thing before.
This was so manifestly the case that
last Fall the Republican National Gem
mittee, speaking for the President, de-
finitely promised that Mr. Evans should
not be re-appointed. 1t matters little in
just what terms that this promise was
made. 1t is entirely sufficient that the Ma
tional Committee was satisfied that Mr..
Evans and his administration was dis
tirctly offensive to the great body of vet
Grams and their friends. Since then the
feeling has increased, rather than de-
creased, as is conclusively shown by the
severe resolutions unanimously adopted
by such great Departments as those of
New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri and
others, each representing tens of thous-
ands of veterans, widows and relatives.
If it serves no other good purpose this
agitation will serve to arouse the public
mind TO inquiry as to whether all this stuff
with which Evans has been filling the
papers for years is true, and whether there
must not be some real cause for complaint
where such large bodies of respectable cfti-
zenS, who have heretofore been in the
foremost ranks of loyalty, unite solidly in
such stinging denunciation.
In the face of this Mr.. Evans can hard
ly maintain his prate about his own I'M
precedented honesty, and the vicious mo-
tives of everybody who criticises him.
The people of the country know too well
the men who compose the G.. 4. K. to be-
lieve this for an instant. They will rea
son, in spite of Mr.. Evans clamor, that
where men of such undoubted sincerity
and conviction speak Sc, there must be
something radically wrong. To say the
least, the men of the Grand Army are of
quite as high standing in their several
communities as Mr.. Evans is in his, and
when they make accusations the strong
presumption must be that the accused is
wrong.
The matter therefore settles right down
to this: Gen. Sickles has voiced the senti-
ment of the entire Grand Army of the Re
public that Commissioner Evans is dis
tinctly offensive and that his retention in
his present place is repugnant to them. In
this the whole body of veterans and their
friends cordially concur, without a dis
senting voice being raised anywhere.
1t now remains for the President and
the public to decide whether this man shall
be retained in the face of this unanimous
expression.
The Grand Army of the Republic has
has done everything possible for years TO
avert it. By every means in its power it
has sought to obtain such an amelioration
of conditions as would render such out
spokenness unnecessary. The fight was
not of its seeking but forced upon it, and
consequently it will have to do, as it al
ways has done, make the best fight it
can. 1t has absolutely nothing to blame
itself for.
1t has shown remarkable sef-controI |
under years of intense aggravatiOns.