The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-12
TAKES SHOT AT WOOD.
Senator Scott Submits Review
of Evidence to the Senate.

rairs has submitted in executive session
OF the senate review of the evidence
introduced before the committee in the
nearing on the nomination of Brigadier
General Wood to be a major general.
Senator Scott makes a strong personal
argument to the senate in opposition to
the appointment of General Wood to be
a major general. He prefaees his re-
marks with the statement that confirm
alton to SO high a position as that of
major general should be made with due
elaboration, and the person to be con-
firmed should be highly qualified and in
every way worthy and above suspicion.
Concerning nominations of this charac-
ter Senator Scott says:
The president, the appointive power
is the commander-in-ch of the army
and navy Of the United States, and ap-
pointments in either of these come from
him to those under him with peculiar
force and power, in that what he says
to those under him is the law, and even
complaint criticism on their part are
really acts of characterization. These
officers and men, thus cut off from the
right of complaint have a peculiar
claim to be heard here in the matter
of appointments affecting them, and it
| becomes and behooVes every senator to
exercise his very best judgment and do
his utmost to throw every possible safe
guard around this class of appoint
1 ments particularly when the act of con-
| flrmation has the far reaching effect
that this one will have"
| Commenting on a statement in the
brief of Senator Foraker. calling atten-
ton to the fact that it was President
Mckinley who jumped General Wood
over hundreds of officers in the army.
Senator Scott says: The evidence in
| this case quite clearly establishes the
fact that he was appointed because of
! his supposed capacity as a civil governor
and there is much to throw doubt on
/ the question of whether even his ap-
pointment as a brigadier general was
TRQrPtfo6 q nd
one will believe that Mr. Mckinley
would ever have thought of promoting
him to a major generalship, certainly
not in the light of the present develop
ment.''
The testimony of General James H.
| Wilson concerning the advancement of
General Wood is quoted at length, in
Guiding that portion which asserts that
! General Wood was not in the battle Of
! San Juan. In reference to this the re-
! view says:
This statement of General Wilson
shows clearly the natural resentment
| that will exist if this great wrong is
perpetrated upon the army of the Uni
! ted States by the confirmation of Gen
eral Wood and its injurious effect must
necessarily be very great affecting as
| it does, the ambition of scores of young
men which must be nipped in the bud
| because of the youth of General Wood
and the long time he may remain at
the head of the army"
| Referring to the conduct of General
Wood toward his superior officer Gen
eral Brooke, Senator Scott says that
| no impartial person can review the evil
dence in this matter without reaching
| the conclusion that the charge of dis
| loyalty is fully established. In refer
ence to the support given by General
Wood to gambling games played in the
| Jai-Alai company's ''Fronton,'' Senator
! Scott says it is shown by the testimony
| that General Wood was a habitual at
Mt Of 1s.,II
! spending his Sundays there on which
days the betting reached as high as
$50. 600
In closing his review Senator Scott
says:
Eat the conclusion of the evidence of
General Wilson the Junior senator from
Ohio, Mr.. Hanna, asked that General
i Wood be brought before the committee
of this body having this investigation
in charge to the end that he might an
swer the allegations and accusations
made against him and relieve himself
from the unjust Gas his friends claim
to be the case) imputations and critic
ismS made against his character and
quite a colloquy ensued, it being claim
ed by some of his champions that there
was no reason for him to be heard;
!: that nothing had been proved against
him; was nothing for him to answer; in
a word that he was selfvindicated.
This, submit, was to me, and must
be to every one, perfectly monStrous
When did it come about that this indi-
. vidual, a doctor in civil life, and a
bloodless soldier in battle, if he ever
saw a battle, has reached the exalted
position that he is unlike other people
and is not to be accountable to any
one, not even to the senate of the
United States and will not even honor
it with his presence. Now. for my
part / want to say that it is due to
General Wood and it is due to the peo-
pie of the United States that he should
not only explain but disprove many
statements made in the evidence now
here for consideration before confirma-
ton should be thought of. The fact that
he is willing to let this investigation