Show No paper in all the country has been more free and outspoken in its criticism criti-cism of the conduct of the war than the Philadelphia Ledger Speaking of the mismanagement of the quartermasters and commissary department it says President McKlrjpy was a major in the civil war Secretary Alger had attained at-tained a generals rank Both therefore there-fore had practical experience of military mili-tary matters and should know something some-thing about the business of raising and equipping an army They should have known better than to put untried civilians in important positions in the quartermaster and commissary departments depart-ments merely because sordid senators and representatives asked them to dQ so when by a little inquiry they could have found plenty of veterans familiar with those duties and able to perform them without the blunders and costly delays of which we have heard so much since the army began to assemble as-semble They had enough business experience ex-perience also to know that the best men are not running around looking for jobs As a rule they are at work and must be sought if wanted Great care is used in selecting privates for the army and influence does not count there Why should the rule be different in more responsible positions I Severe all that but well deserved and it comes from a paper that plays in the administrations back yard |