The Portland daily press., 1875-06-11
Bad Recommendations.

West Point Visiting Boards have been
accustomed to inspect the Military Academy
and finding no cause of complaint, have made
their reports brief and commendatory. The
Board now at the Point seems minded how
ever to distinguish itself by making com.
plant. General B. F. Butler, its most ac-
tive member, is never content to walk in the
beaten track, and always steps outside, even
if the only other path leads through ditch
or an open sewer. He long ago learned that
a loud and persistent growl is certain to at
tract attention, ana that men sooner listen
to abuse and complaint than 70 praise. His
companions apparently share in his desire
for notoriety.
The first move made by the visitors was TO
invite themselves to mess. where they grum-
bled at the potatoes in way that would do
credit to an old boarder. The other food
seems to have passed without condemna-
ton, but bitter complaint is made because
the potatoes were purchased in October.
One of the critics, who apparently belongs to
the class of theoretical farmers, is credited
with the remark that potato dug before the
middle of February is not fit to eat. The
assault upon the larder did not however
meet with that success which was anticipa-
ted, and attention was turned TO the wash
tubs. Here grievance was found. Students
are charged seven cents for washing pair of
white trousers, Was ever such extortion
The economical mind sbrinks back appalled,
at the exorbitant charges of the national
washerwoman-who in this case happens to
he a but bearing in mind that the
government furnishes the money to pay
these laundry bills it is difficult to see that
the cadets suffer severe hardship. Com
plant is made that the pay is almost all
spent in board, clothing. AID other necessary
articles. Until now it has never been sug-
gested that it is the duty of the government
to annually turn out three score capitalists
from its Military Academy. 1t has been
thought that the pay was fixed at sum to
cover all necessary expenses, and that no
surplus for banking purposes was contem-
plated. The people have considered that
the government was sufficiently generous in
giving these young men the most thorough
and practical education obtainable in the
country and then putting them into honora-
bic life-positions.
These complaints, however, are of little
account and will receive slight attention.
But certain recommendations are made by
tie Board, which, if adopted, will go far to
impair the efficiency of the institution. The
prolonged course of mathematics is deprecat-
ed and substitution oflogic and rhetoric with
exercises in defamation advised! Com ment
on this proposition is scarcely necessary. The
people of the United States will hardly care
TO support mill for grinding out fifty rhetor-
icians year. Our army officials have gen.
orally succeeded in expressing themselves
concisely and intelligibly, and can write bet
Ter English than half the college graduates
AS for logic that is to be Stunned at all
events. The man who fools with logic is sure
to make an ass of himself in the end by at
tempting TO carry out some very logical and
absurd idea. What would our captains have
been good for had they betaken themselves
to logic at the outbreak of the rebellion?
Logic was the rock upon which Buchanan
nearly wrecked the country.
The other recommendation of the Board is
modification of the discipline of the Acade-
my, which IS considered to be too strict and
severe. The complaint is made that "the ca
diets are trained to stiffness Of manner, and
ose all natural gracefulness." 1t has hither-
to been thought that the army officer bears
himself quite as gracefully as the average citi-
zen, certainly quite as well as the leading
member of the visiting board. As for the
matter of discipline the experience of the col
ored cadets goes to show that it needs tight
ening rather than s.ackening. 1t is devoutly
to be hoped that no attempt to carry out
these recommendations by the visitors will be
made. Strike out mathematics, science
upon which the art of war is based, and re-
lax discipline, the most important duty of
military officer, and the Academy will rapid
ly part with its efficiency and lose its high
standing.