The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-03-28

MILES AND THE POWERS THAT BE.
Gen. Miles, the hero of many battles
and veteran Of 40 years service in the
army Of the United States, was sum-
moned before the senate committee
on "the army reorganization bill, T" and
because he gave his opinion of the bill
in question, according to report, he is
to be disciplined and forcibly retired
as commander in chief. The bill was
drawn up by Secretary of War Root
and-the officers of the department. It
is their pet measure and practically
makes the commander a mere figure
head-"the chief of the general staff"
AS everyone knows, Miles has been
snubbed, censured and Inundated,
because he would not consent to be
merely an orderly for civilian secre-
tary Of war, and, because he exercised
the right Of citizenship and approved
Of the report of Admiral Dewey in the
SchIey case. In the Spanish-American
war, he was held in tether and virtual
" ignored so far as active command
was concerned. Shafter, Otis and 9TH
er favorites were foisted to the front
and given important commands while
the general in chief sat with his hands
tied in Washington.
On the other side it is cOntended,
that Gen. Miles has been playing to
the grand stand; that he has been in
triguing for the presidential nomina-
ton; that the general declined the
command Of the forces sent against
Santiago and named Gen. Shafter for
that campaign; that he expected to
command the troops to be sent against
Havana, which not being done. the
general was chagrined and disappoint-
ed; that after his command of the
Porto Rican expedition, which turned
out to be an ovation rather than a
victory, and, the war ending soon after
this, all chance for the general to dis
tinguish himself had passed away; that
these disappOintments sOured him and
hence the attack on the conduct Of the
war and other and more recent con-
troVersies with the administration.
To be fair in this discussion these
contentious are given. But why was it
that Gen. Wesley Merritt, another vet
eran and next in command, was also
kept in the background? Alger was
then secretary of war and was paying
off civil war score. Sheridan, Merritt
and Custer had recommended Ayers
dismissal from the service for coward
ice for not reporting from leave of alb
sence about the time of the opening of
the campaign in the Shenandoah val
ley in 1854.
Merritt was given command for a
brief time and took the city. of Manila,
but was soon after ordered to Paris to
attend the peace conference, and then
ordered home, and some time after
ward placed on the retired list. Gen.
Otis was given the command in the
Philippines, relieving Gen. Merritt.
1t is reported that Miles offered his
services for command in the Philip
pines, but the offer was rejected on the
ground that he was not in accord with
the policy of the administration in the
islands. 1t viii be remembered that
the generals proclamation to the Por-
to Ricans, promising them the privi-
leges and amenities Of the constitution,
was not only ignored but repudiated.
Now when the SchIey case is recall
ed, the rebuff administered TO Dewey,
the censuring Of Miles for agreeing
with him and other matters referred
70 in this article, We are led to inquire
what Is the matter with our grand old
heroes9 They are Americans. They have
given LIES service as they supposed
to uphold the principles enunciated in
the Declaration Of Independence, and
formulated in the constitution of the
United States. That was what the flag
meant to them. They followed it and
upheld it in sunshine, in storm and in
battles iercest fury. They are patri-
OTIS, not politicians.
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