Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-08-13
THE PRESIDENT ASSAILED.
Real object of Democrats in OPP
posing the Promotion of
Gen. Wood.

Reports concerning the lining up OF
forces for and against the confirma-
ton of Gen Leonard Wood as major
general indicate the possibility of a
fight over the matter. The indica-
tions are further that the fight will
be led by democrats in the senate,
aided by army officers and the friends
of such who think they have been un-
fairly treated by the rapid promotion
of Gen. Wood. There is reason to be-
lieve that the real object of the lead
ers of the fight in the senate will be
to hurt President Roosevelt. Army
officers who feel agglieved by the rapid
promotion of Gen. Wood would natu-
rally like to defeat his confirmation as
major general, and perhaps humili-
ate him if they could, but democratic
senators will have no such personal
animus, says the Indianapolis Journal.
Their object will be to make political
capital by trying to make it appear
that the president has been governed
by motives of personal favoritism, and
has thereby established a demoraliz-
ing precedent.
The fight will not open till the sem
ate meets but in the meantime there
are some phases of the case worth con-
sidering. In the first place, as far as
the overslaughing of other officers is
concerned or the establishing of a de-
moraliZing precedent it was done by
the early promotions of Gen. Wood,
all of which were made by President
Mckinley. 1t was President McKin-
ley who commissioned Col. Wood to
raise the regiment of cavalry known
as the Rough Riders regiment and it
was President Mckinley who made
him brigadier general of volunteers,
a major general of volunteers and a
brigadier general Of the regular army.
II was President Mckinley who made
Gen. Wood governor of Santiago, and,
later, military governor of Cuba, in
splendid record. All of his early pro-
motions and assignments to special
duty came from President Mckinley.
The only favors he has received at the
hands Of President Roosevelt are an
assignment to duty in the Philippines
and his promotion from the rank of
brigadier general to that of major gen.
eral in the regular army There is
nothing in this record to supply the
basis of an attack on President Roose-
welt. If the attack is made it will be
chiefly on the memory of William Nc
Kinley.
But, no matter from what quarter
the attack comes or against whom it is
aimed. it will be weak in that it will
ignore two essential facts-frst, the
unquestioned ability and prominent
services Of Gen. Wood, and, second
the fact that the question of promo
tion is one that rests exclusively with
the president. No person denies Gen
Woods ability or fitness to command
though his actual military experience
has not been great, and no person
denies that his services in Cuba were
such as to entitle him to almost any
reward in the gift of the government
The president has a free hand in the
matter of promotions in the army
lldNlllbur. pifNtNGlll anu tuSlOll
based on sound principles, have estab-
lished certain rules regarding promo
tions, but as far as the law is con-
cerned the matter rests wholly with
the president The responsibility is
on him, and he is the sole and final
judge as to the fitness of a promotion
and whether it will conduce to the
honor, welfare and efficiency of the
army or not. No person would con-
tend that if an officer next in line OF
promotion were VIGOROUSLY unfit the
president would be bound to promote
him. and it is equally true that he is
justified in promoting an officer over
the heads of others if, in his opinion
the unusual promotion is deserved
/ The power, the right and the respon.
sibility are his. When the attack or
/ Gen. Wood is made. or rather the at.
tack on Presidents Mckinley anC
| Roosevelt, through him, it will bt
/ found to be without justification in Law
/ Qr reason