New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-25
MORE ARMY REFORM.

TIE LABOR SYSTEM AMONG solpiEio- NJ
Suit OF INSPECTION.
tpRoN AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRTBUSEl
WASHINGTON, March 15.-The nature OF our
military establishment geographically, and In hesh can
be described In few words We rejoice In four grahd
military divisions subdivded into fifteen departments
which, according to the latest official tables num-
Der 2ooO3 enlisted men and 2.iO5 ofllcers-making
grand total OF 81 0S The army expenditure Tor the ast
fiscal year. which shows a reduction in comparison with
the wear previous was, In round numbers, $360OoCOo
exclusive OF the expenses of engineering and river ana
harhor improvements Deducting s6.0o0oo for the pay
of officers etc. and leaving only scoooOoo for the 'ooo
or enlisted men, each soldier thus appears 10 cost
the Government $1,000 per annum. This IL, no DOUBT
an extraordinary outlay when compared with the
costly army of Great Britain Why then, Is the army
entirely overlooked amid this great stir and talk OF
economy and reform The sorriest politician knows all
about the clerks in the departments, and the
electric wires never fail to carry, throughout
the land the grand news whenever halta-dozeh
employees male female, are discharged;
but when our boys in blue" discharge themselves III
considerably greater numbers not word Is said the
primary OF the dsorganzing spirit with which
our army has been, and Is afflicted Is the labor
system-the way in which the soldiers are made 10 per-
form different kinds OF labor. Under orders from inc
President, issued In 1862 the number OF civilians en-
ployed at the various posts by the Qnartermasters
department was reduced from lO,s9i to 4OOO and the
consequence OF this blind order that half OF the
army was turned into aborers Tho socalled economy
came in and discipline slipped out. 1t could not have
happened otherwise III any other army not even Win
that Of the Pasha of Egypt. glance at any OF our
military posts. especially out West. will satisfy every
attentive observer OF the truth of my statement Al
each OF these military posts-miscalled forts-you
will find onehalf Of the little garrison engaged in
different kinds OF labor-partly hard labor, and
filthy labor the other half performing purely
military service, and which means guard-mountlng'
At many OF the posts the latter class are in the minority,
40 that each enlisted man has TO perform guard duty
every alternate day-a thing highly dlstastefui ana
amazing to soldier II Is hardly necessary to add that
this kind OF treatment offers unusual facilities LOT
Drunkenness and engenders all species OF abuses ana
characterization while it produces at the same time Ill
feelings and discord between the two elements-the
laborng soldiers and the military soldiers Only in one
thing do these two parties occasionally unite ana that Is
in favor Of dcscrtlon. SO far my knowledge goes,
there was only protest raised against tins suicidal
labor system. and that ouspoken protest came from
Gen REYNOLDS, commanding In Texas. In his report
for the year 1870 he the following language: In my
opinion many deserons are caused by the varied calls
made upon soldiers labor getting out lumber,
quarrying stone. running saw-mls burning brick and
lime driving wagons, etc. which are not In their engage
ment when they enlist, and which in fact unfit them for
soldiers" The Only result Of this emphatic protest OF
Gen. Reynolds reference made 10 his opinion in
the report of Cen Sherman aud there the matter rested
Gen. Reynolds's speaking OF many assertions" in this
report 1870 observe sufficiently proves the fact
that tho evil OF deserton existed before the recent
reduction Of pay.
In tie very Of this system, which turned
half the army into aborers Of the Quartermasers and
Commissary Departments, officer is forbidden IN any
case whatever to enlisted man az a servant Or
dered suddenly TO take squad or company out on
scouting expedition, say against Black Kettle" or
Brown Bear" the officer the frontier who is but sell
dom lucky enough TO find servant is expected TO groom
his horse, polish his sword bro his buffalo meat, and
posh his boots and beside all this find to look
his duties as commander. An officer thus cireum-
Is expected command the respect OF his men
The officer who, when he is an acting commissary or
quartermaster make the soldier cut wood and herd
mules is not permitted, when in the field with his com
pany, to let soldier groom his horse or cook his dinner
Can there be any given for such crudtesi To
expect true soldery spirit and discipline under the
labor system just described, is climera 1t is only by
being exclusively Injured TO the duties and habits per-
tanning the military profession that the recruit who
dons the uniform becomes In time soldier. 1t is idle to
talk to soldier who IL made jack Of all trades, OF mill
tary pride and the respect due his colors therefore
believe that the first step toward reform in our military
household ought to be the doing away with tho labor
system as most obnoxious AM expensive kind OF
economy. There is reason why should not follow
the example of other nations the in ducements held
out for good conduct. BY a recent regulation OF
the British Government the fines for drunkenness which
amount to onslerable are distributed as bonuses
the soldiers who are the recipients OF good conduct
badges" these badges being repeatedly given TO the
soldier after the lapse of certain period marked by
fautless conduct Good conduct insures also for the
English soldier silver medal which carries with 1t
gratuity stimulus Of this nature In our army cannot
fail tn produce great deal OF good ana would besides
necessarily lead to general improvement In the discp-
nary part OF the service Something OF this nature Is
perhaps even more demanded so far as our noncomms
stoned officers are CONCERNED It Is only our army that
privates, and pryaes declining to be promoted cor
poras and YET II Is IN our arny broken mp as u Is INTO
corps Of non-commissioned officers IL most needed. As
matters now stand the corporal receives but the same
has ST. and the sergeanmaor Sa scale OF pay which
must be pronounced 10 be more arbitrary than just and
OF reaching the epauets let us hold up the morale
Of the noncommssioned officers by some other means
Under present circumstances where there is no end to
all kinds Of dsordery conduct. and where the enlisted
men freely use threats and blows against thelr
officer is truly vexatlon Of spirit.
ladder Of the military bernrchy to- stse the "a 1es
ton of the efficacy OF officers The records OF courts
and drunkenness for which parallel can be found in
any OF the European armies the latter species OF mis-
even officers OF the day can be seen walking about in
the performance of their duties While strongly abOr4g
under the wet damnatOn." The omnous 18th Article
of War says that officers drunk while duty shall DO
dismissed or suffer such punishment by court mar
taI shall be inflicted" And dismissals would. under
the present circumstances he mpracticabe and unjust
query is what ought TO he understood by the words
''suffer such punshmentp The true idea of punish
refOrmatory The person punished Is expected
out better man; but who seriously expect
moral from the procedure now In force Whether
the regulations which the Secretary Of War prom
ised in his report Of 1870 and which he tells
not yet ready, WILL when they come bring the de-
sired remedy, If extremely doubtful Much w doubt,
be gained by throwing overheard that venerable mis-
cellany Of antiduvian grand tactics and routine, called
L. g. Army regulations but what the needs above
all Is influence agency that will raise Its tone,
and this be effected simply by code of laws
alone, however perfect. In other armies, inspections
actual examinations both OF the outward parapher
MALTA war, and the inner life of the army; there,
watehfu eye Is kept, not only upon the internal
each regiment. hnt each separatelY