The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-08

people, provided, as we have said, no
radical reconstruction of the present
Cabinet takes place.
Major Runclc's Statements About
Gen. Wood.
The Mem York Tribune recognizes the
gravity of the statements which We have
been reporting Major JAMES f. RUNc1E
as having made during the past two
years with regard to Gen. LEONARD
WOODS participation in the attack on
Gen. BROOKE in the North American Re
riep Our neighbor now returns to the
subject, remarking with truth and force:
This Is a most serious charge. 1t is unGucs-
tionabiy true that II Gen. WOOD participated in
the RrNc1E attack ard then denied his share in 1t
he should be court .mnrtialed. II Major RuNcIE
| has been bearing false witness against Gen, Woop
he should be punished II any third party has
been circulating injurious nbcls about either he
should be exposed. The truth about this afialr
should be made known"
This does not put the case too strongly
The truth should be made known, and it
is not matter for newspaper trial, but
for investigation by competent tribu-
nal, with power to compel testimony.
The truth would probably have been
made known two years and more ago if
Gen. BRooKEs proper and reasonable
demand for the court-martialling OF
Major RUNCIE, as the responsible author
of the article in the North American Re-
pieu, had been granted by the War De-
partment, or by Gen. WOOD, to whom,
at Havana, the matter was referred from
Washington. Gen WooD made some
sort of an explanation which must be
Of record in the Department, and Major
RUNCIE's military offence went unin-
vestigated and unpublished
Being an officer on the retired list of
the Regular establishment, Major Run
Gle is still within the jurisdiction Of the
Department and amenable now, as then,
to military discipline. Heis just as much
subject to military trial now for having
libelled Gen. WOOD in private commune
cations to various persons, as he was then
for having attacked Gen. BROOKE in a
published article to which his name was
signed.
At this stage, of course, two separate
questions are involved. The first is
whether it is true that Major RUNC1E
has made the statements which have
been imputed to him concerning Gen.
WOODS initiative in the preparation Of
the article attacking WOODS superior,
BROOKE, and subsequent evasion Of re-
sponsihihty for his part. That being
true, the second question is whether
Major RUNC1E, in those statements, has
told facts or falsehoods.
As to the question first in order, our
neighbor the Tribune said yesterday:
THE sun stands TO day as the responsible author
Of the charge that Major RuNcIs accuses Gen.
Woop OF completely In his offence, and It's manifest
duty is to publish evidence TO support that state
ment or withdraw 1t"
For clearness, we here repeat the
statement to which the Tribune refers
II was made in The sun of Tuesday last
June 2:
The substance OF statements which have
| reason to believe have been made by Major RUN
crs to various persons at different times all OF them
earlier in date than the so called withdrawal of
the charge by the Evening pos' last month. is that
he Major RrScIE, then Gen. WOODS closest friend
and UNOFFICIAL counsellor and legal secrer at Santl
aro prepared the article attacking Gen. BROOKE
| at Gen WOODS request: that WOOD had told RUN
Gle 1t was highly desirable TO get BROOKE out Of
tho island as soon as possible: that RUNcrE. like
wise in good faith believing that BROOKE ought
| to be ousted wrote the attack al the special sug
pcstion OF WOOD and nsirustcd the manuscript
to a person whom RuNcIR had never seen before
and never saw thereafter. this person being at
that time and for that purpose brought to him and
Introduced by WOOD that EuNolEs understand
| ing was that his name was not TO appear in con-
nectlon with the matter he had prepared Woop's
request that when the article published with
his name and Gen. BROOKE Indignantly demanded
| that RuNcIE be court -nartalled, the demand was
by President McKISlEY's direction, referred to
| WOOD at Havana. who reported hack to Washing
| ton that his understanding was tina; while RUN
Gle had written the attack the author had not
Intended II to be published rs an article but had
| eiven II 10 a friend OF his RuNCIEs to be used
As the basis OF editorial comment in some news
paper: and that this attempted evasion by Woop
OF his own Initial responsibility for the article In
the North american Rerfrm was shock to RrxcrR.
y practical betrayal Of him by friend whom he
Md trusted implicitly, and the occasion OF the
break In the close relations prcvcn.y existing
| be, wcen them"
One of our reasons fer believing that
Major RrNCIE has given the foregoing
account of the origin of the North Ameri-
can Reriep article is this;
We hold the signed declaration of more
than one reputable and responsible wit
ness to the fact that Major RUNCIE has