The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-02-27

The more the public service is probed
the more rotten II is found in every part.
The civil departments are scandalously
corrupt. The navy l. utterly demoraliZcd.
And now il is found that the army, which
in many respects has withstood the dam
gcrOus infection, i little better than the
others.
An effort has been made 10 rctrench on
the Army Appropriation bill now pending
before the House of Representative. lm-
mediately the cry j. raised. Economic any
where else. but do not touch the army.
That must be preserved just as il i. Every
man Is needed. and more even than the
force allowed.
This Is the sort of language in fashion
on every bill when the eNcre>ccnccs are
approached. They must not be Topped
OH. or the Government will 90 To the dogs.
And whole crowd of epaulc'f"h VI other
officials thrOng the committee rooms 10
protest against any change which may dis
turb their personal interests or incomes.
During the discussion of the Army bill
on Tuesday some interesting revelations
were made on both sides of the House.
Mr.. Wheeler said:
'Thc theory OF the Committee on Appropria-
tons l. that these men shall 20 10 recruit the
frontier regiments II That Will not suffice, then
ranrods Go, sir, 70 ne houses of prominent off,
cidis ia Wash nqfoH and take 0m from mere Me
enlisted men q ne army rho are s0ring as prirafe
servants Put the army uniform on them
and send them 10 their regiments where they be-
long
"a Membcr-That is what should be done.
''Mr. Wheeler here is wherr the missing
ramrods are. and there are Picnfy IF them about
nus capital -
This was a Republican utterance. When
the Democratic turn came 1T was still more
explicit in detail and more astounding as
10 the extent OF the abuse. Mr.. Potter
said
al have heard il stated by distinguished menu
Der OF the Administration party q am not at lib
erty 10 give his name. but II am IN error the
gentleman in charge OF this bill will be- able 10
correct me) that there are az he fify Of Washing
ton alone orer q thousand enlisted men hangin0
around passages and sfGirirdys and Ia domestic
rice Let those men also be sent 10 the IRON
tier -
According TO these declarations over a
million OF dollars is spent every year to
support servants for the magnificent Off
GERS ut Washington. who are already re-
ceiving enormous pay. Andw what Is worse
in its moral effect on the service. soldiers
regularly enlisted 10 protect and honor
the flag are converted into menials and
ilunkics, in order 70 keep mp the prcten-
tions state of drawing-room heroes.
one thousand dollars is "A small estimate
for the cost Of every regular soldier. and
there are AT least a thousand Of them en-
ployed on these degrading duties about
Washington. while the President. the Gen
eral. the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT the major
generals, the brigadier-generals, and Others
like them. are demanding more troops and
urging the exposed state of the frontier as
a reason.
When such disclosures are made con-
corning the army, which has hitherto pre-
served a higher tone and invited less suS-
picion than the navy. il is easy 10 under
stand how widespread is the corruption.
The conclusion is forced upon every cam
did mind that the whole concern is rotten
To the core, and that there is no remedy
but radical reform, which must begin by
sweeping Grantism out of cXistencc.-N
u Suu