Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-04-08
| THE ADMINISTRATION
AND GENERAL MILES,
tFrom Tho springnoId Republican.)

20 battles and engagements. many of
them the greatest and most sanguln.
airy of the Civil War: rose grade by
grade, for highly meritorious service,
TO the rank of major general of volun.
teers, and commanded an army corps
in active service. at the age of 21
conducted several successful cam
paigns against hostile Indians, notably
the ono against the Apaches in 1886;
led in person the army which invaded
Porto Rico in 1898. ana conquered the
Island without bloodshed at the same
time winning the confidence of the
people his military strategy in max
ing landing on the south side, con-
trury 10 the plans OF the war depart.
ment. being universally commended; !;
made lieutenant-genera Of regular
army in 1900.
War record of Theodore Roosevelt -
President of New York Police Board.
1851; assistant secretary of the
navy, 1S0T.9S: liautenant-coloncl and
colonel of Trough Rluers.' in cam
paiGn against Santiago, June and July
1898.
War record of Elihu Root-New
York lawyer Of large practice.
The Republican is not disposed in
the least TO be Il partisan of Gen.
Miles. That officer has his weakness
cs. aud, like the weaknesses of
most soldiers whose laurels have been
won in the field, they show most con,
spicuously when the general is con
fined TO the bureaucratic sphere of the
Washington headquarters. How the
atmosphere of Washington life af-
fccts military men of this type-men
whose actual service in the field never
knew failure--has been illustrated
by Admiral Dewey himself, WHOSE
sagacity seemed to desert him the mo.
mcnt he was immersed in the turbid
lake of intrigue and jealousy which
official and social Washington stands
for ON shipboard or In the field these
men Of action are in their natural cle.
mcnt: but make them ceremonial fig.
urchcads of n bureaucratic machine
and YOU may undo them in a way
that cruelty dlscredits their real vir.
tues, and perhaps saddcns their
friends. 1t Is well, therefore, in the
present situation to recall the record
of the military services of Gen. Miles,
and even compare 1t with those of
two men who are now his official SUI
perlors. The retrospect will tend to
make one. charitable toward the grny.
haired veteran, and compel one to
consider the plain truth that If Gen.
Miles is displaying bad Judgment or
weaknesses of temperament the mill
tary system of which he is part is
largely responsible. Such Il man, ms
his military record shows, should be
kept to his natural sphere of action
but, unfortunately, he has been in re
cent years the victim of in admins
trativc machine the reform of which
he is himself unwisely opposing.
Gen. Aliles's proposal to the Presl
dent that he be sent to the Philip
pines, with 10 natives of Cuba ant
Porto Rico, to bring about n complete
pacihcation of the archipelago, calls
for no serious discussion. 1t was /
plan which obviously the Prcsiden
could not accept without confessinl
that the present policy is "A failure
and without discrcditing the work oI
Gen. Chaffee and Judge Taft. Il
SHOULD be noted, however, that Gen
Miles is not an antl-imperialist, ant
that in his letter of February II
there Is nothing to Show that he de
sired anything but the complete con
cIliaton of the Filiplnos and thci
loyal, permanent allegiance TO th'
sovereignty of the United States
However irritating his suggestion
were TO IN administration which ha,
been claiming for two years that thcr,
was no real war In the Philippines nC
one can say that he had no righ
TO make them, or that he presented then
in Il dIsrespectful manner. Nor is II fail
TO question the generals motives. II,
did not write mis- letter for publication
and II has not become public through
his initiative. Gen. Miles had righ
to his opinions concerning the mill
tary situation in the Philippines, an,
the laws gave him the privilege. o
addressing them to the secretary q
war Thcy should therefore, h
Judged upon their merits, and not mad
TO serve ms ammunition for feedin
an unfortunate fcud between the Ne,
tcnant-gencrn and his civilian super
iors.
Ii Is not our impression that the pla
suggested by Gen. Miles for pncif,
ing Inc lnsurGcnt Fillplnos would h
very effective, although It's contra
idea is not at all SO ridiculous or spec
tacular as the generals critics try I