Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1916-07-14
Who Said "Inefficlency"?

From The BALTIC. Sun.
The Republican indictment OF the pres
ent Administration set forth in the national
platform adopted at Chicago virtually con-
sists OF two counts The first is directed
against the Democratic party generally
the second is directed against Mr.. Wilson
personally. The former repeats the famil-
lar charge that the Democratic party is
always inefficient and can never be trusted
to manage public affairs wisely: and the
latter charges that Mr.. Wilson is weak and
vacillating.
Let us consider the inefficiency count in
the light Of facts
The. Mckinley Administration should
have been a thoroughly organized and
efficient" business affair. il the claims
made for the Republican nominee during
the campaign Of 1896 were well founded
and If governmental experience and politi-
cal training counted for anything. Mr..
Mckinley had been familiar almost from
his youth up with the machinery Of ma
uonal administration. His long service in
Congress was supposed to have made him
practical expert on all public questions,
and close at his elbow were all the brains
and energy and business efficiency Of the
Grand and Only party capable Of doing
things. Such an aggregation Of practical
wisdom and craftsmanship might have
been expected to deal with little episode
like the Spanish war with the utmost ease
and without the slightest friction. From
the magnificent boastfulness with which
the Republican party has been in the habit
OF recording its glorious achievements for
the last half century. il might have been
imagined that the minor and trivial task
OF chastising a weak country like Spain
would have been merely an incident in the
days work, to be dispatched without any
unusual fuss or exertion.
But note what an efficient" Republican
Administration actually did when il faced
this little crisis. The Maine was blown
up on February is, 1898. The omniscient
Republican mind realized the situation at
once. Of course. and the thoroughly trained
men at the head Of the Government DEM
onstrated Immediately their inherent de
cision and capacity for action One would
say yes, II he accepted Republican claims
at par But the records say no. When
we talk about indecision. procrastination,
unpreparedness and inefficiency, look over
the newspaper files for 1898, IL YOU want
to find all these things in their superlatiye
estate. When they look back to this rec
ord. Republicans must almost be driven
TO the conclusion that Mckinley was
Democrat The Maine was blown up, as
we have said, February is. 1898, but il
was not until April 23 that this efficient"
Administration had sufficiently made up
its mind to call on the militia for service.
And after il got the MALTA into camp il
did not seem to know what TO do with them.
Our Fifth Regiment remained tied up until
May 10 before II was sent South. and when
il and other units were finally sent toward
the scene Of operations what was their
fate They were dumped down. half equip.
ped. In fever camps. victims Of General
Ayers efficient" rotten beef and Of lack
Of sanitary and medical supervision on the
part Of the Republican governmental ma
chine.
The truth is that there was never more