The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-26
WEST POINT AND ANNAPOLIS.
From the N. Y. Times.

Once year it is in order, we believe, for |
some Congressman to take the floor with
resolution to wipe out West Point and an
nihilate the Naval Academy. This year the
traditional task has fallen upon new can
didate for such honors-Mr. Spencer, of
Alabama.
What Mr.. Spencer proposes, in abolshins
the two academies, is to substitute military
and naval instruction in various colleges by
assignment of officers to duty there, or else
to "inaugurate some other system calculated
to relieve the Government of large expense,
and enable all who desire it to secure an edu-
cation for the army or navy at their own ex-
pense." With all respect for the author, we
conceive this to be the most preposterous
proposition ever yet made regarding the
Government schools-and that is saying
great DEAL
To begin with, has Mr.. Spencer any idea
of the enormous number of colleges that
would put in claims for such instruction ?
And is he aware of the rivalry and jealousy
which would be produced by the rejection of
some claims and the acceptance of others
And does he not see that, even with the arbi-
trary choice of one in ten among the colleges
of the Union, the expense of maintaining a
decent military and naval educational sys-
tenn would be enormously increased ? Per-
haps he does see something of this sort, as
his proposition is an alternative one, provid-
ing for ''some other system calculated to
relieve the Government of a large expense"
Economy is always the keynote sounded
for a rally against the Government schools;
but we beg to know how economy is to be
secured by creating six West Points instead
of one, and by duplicating Annapolis
| with half-a-doZen other Naval Academies
The reply is that this measure
would only assign unattached officers
to duty. But that is precisely what is done
now, and hence the only effect of this so-called
| economy would be to increase the number
of unattached officers. The officers and in
structors of the Naval School are wholly or
| chiefly officers of the navy; and those of the
Military School are in great part officers of the
army. If the proposition be to give more
general and popular military instruction, let
| it be effected by the means in question, in
addition to the twoschools already in effective
| operation. But to destroy what we have got
| in order to get more, seems to us not economy
but extravaganza, especially as we should
| render useless two military establishments
| founded with great cost and care Congress
already has made a law assigning military in
structors to colleges, and retired and unat-
tached officers have been filling places in
| sundry institutions in accordance Herewith
All this is very we'll, but it is simply favor
done by the country to the colleges, in wise
| provision for the future; 1t Is not by such
means, however, that St. Cyr or Poly
technic is built up.
A project to break up and scatter broad
cast the two Government schools is like that
ignorant policy which in 1861 proposed to
send ten thousand different columns into the
enemy's country, and to harass him into sub
lection. Dear experience taught us that con-
centration, not scattering, was the key to
success in campaigning as in everything else.
| Precisely the same is true with military edu-
cation Decentralizing our resources is de-
stroying them by frittering them away. No
thoroughness, no true technical triumphs, no
professional progress could be hoped for by
this dilettante style of military and naval edu-
cation. We should get neither sailors, SOL
diers, nor scholars from our mixed-ul
schools. The colleges are already overloaded
with the burden of studies thrust into theii
curriculum, and this new duty would make
. their course of instruction little of every.
thing and nothing of anything.
However, it will be time to discuss more
fully this subject if it be pressed. We in
cline to think ii is one of those resolutions
regularly put before the Military Committee
about the time when the Academy appropri
/ tions come up, and which are then usually
| allowed to rest. sa tadi 30 b9loyoS-