National Republican., 1876-08-21
THE 1NGRAT1TUDE OF THE REPUBLIC.

THE INGRATITUDE OF THE REPUBLIC.
1t is important that the people of this
country should understand fully the effects
of the action of the last Congress in regard
to the pay of officers Of the navy, to the
end that they may instruct their representa-
tives to remedy, at the earliest moment of
the next session, the glaring injustice that
has been perpetrated on these gallant and
faithful public servants. 1t will be remem-
bered that at the beginning of the last ses-
sion movement was made to curtail the
expenses of the naval service by reduc-
tion of officers salaries, but, upon careful
examination, this was found to be impracti
cable, as the pay, according to the estab-
lished rate, was found to be barely suffi-
cient to enable the officers to live in mode
rate comfort. Notwithstanding this, how
ever, when Congress began to run
muck among the appropriation bills,
and lop right and left with its
indiscriminate knife, the appropri
alton for "pay..of the navy suffered with
the rest to the extent of nearly 81, 900, 900.
Now the amount of money required for
the pay of the navy, unlike most other
estimates, can be calculated almost to
dollar. There are so many officers and so
many men of various ranks and grades of
pay, and it is very simple matter of arith
metic to discover the sum total required.
If Congress desires to reduce this sum
there are manifestly but two Legitimate
. ln;r a,t1 +J,a ba4 TO ho
paid or the rate Of pay must be reduced.
The present Congress at its late session
partially fulfilled one of these conditions
by reducing the already ridiculously small
number of enlisted men from $500 to
1850, thereby saving about $500, 900.
The remaining $1,5OO,O00 it proposed
to "save" by "s very rigid enforce
"ment of somewhat disused power Of
"the Secretary of, the Navy to furlough
"officers instead OF having them under
1.-THE heads of other duty or waiting
"orders.'" 1t hardly seems possible that
the members of Congress were aware
of what they were doing in passing this
bill on these conditions, for, most certainly,
had bill been introduced proposing to do
directly what is here accomplished by in
direction it would never have passed be-
yond its first reading, while its author
would have been overwhelmed with in
dignant protests from the entire country,
North, South. East and West. Let us see
then, what it really means to 'furlough"
a naval officer, for the people of this
country and their Representatives in Con-
gress appear sadly in need of enlighten-
ment on this point. A naval officer re-
ceives the full pay of his grade only when
on duty at sea. When on duty on shore
he receives the pay of the next lower
grade, and when off duty, on waiting Or
ders" or '1eave," the pay of the second
grade below. The "leave" pay has al
ways been considered the lowest pay that
an officer could receive, unless by his
own request he was placed on furlough, or
in the case of sentence of court martial for
some offense against naval regulations.
But for some reason, difficult to understand,
law was passed in 1878 or thereabouts
giving to the Secretary of the Navy the
arbitrary power to place any officer on the
active list or furlough at his discretion. 1t
is of this loopholc that the last Congress
has availed itself to strike at the navy
without appearing to do so. The severity
of the blow may be understood by the fol
lowing statement of the furlough pay of
officers, and by knowledge of the fact
that, under the operations of the order of
the Secretary of the Navy, issued in &C
cordance with the expressed intentions Of
Congress, more than three hundred meri-
torious officers of all grades, from the illus
trious admiral and vice admiral down, will
be placed on furlough: Rear admirals,
s., ,000 per year; commodores, $1,000; cap
tains, 81, 400; commanders, $1,150; lieu
tenant commanders, $1,000; lieutenants,
$500; masters, 5000; ensigns, S40O; mid
shlpmen, $500.
Is not the proverbial ingratitude of re-
publics crystallized in the above table?
Here are gallant heroes, gray with half
century's arduous service in upholding the
flag of their country Sin the storm of the
elements and the storm of battle'-men
who have fought through two wars, and
whose eminent professional and scientific
attainments shed lustre upon their countIy,
reduced to the pay Of newly -fedged Sec
ond lieutenant. Here are younger officers,
who have spent ten or fifteen of the best
years of their life in mastering the princi-
piles and practice of a most exacting pro-
fession, reduced to beggarly pittance, less
than the pay of department messenger.
1t cannot be possible that the people of this
country will sanction this outrage upon
these gallant men. 1t it is not remedied,
and that speedily, its evil consequences
cannot be overestimated. If this is to be
the reward of life of devotion to the coun-
try it cannot be expected that men of abil-
ity will remain in the service. They will
be driven from it. The navy will lose the
men of mark through whose influence and
ability its corps of officers has come to be
acknowledged the finest in the world. A
foreign war will find our service without
talent and without esprit du corps. The
humiliation of our flag, as yet unsullied,
upon the ocean will follow, and in its train
will come disgrace and disaster upon the
country. Is this economys If so, give
us, then, rather prodigality. 1t seems
rather the insidious attempt of traitors to
render the naval arm of our service ineffi-
cient and powerless.
EDITORIAL POSTSCRIPT.
"Hsyes is dry. He needs rain," exclaims