, 1876-03-26
GEN. SHERMAN WAl

GEN. SHERMAN WANTED III WASHINGTON.
The FIRST official act Of Secretary TAFT in
arranging with Gen. SHERMAN for transfer
Of the army headquarters is one which will
commend itself to the people of this country
as eminently sensible and proper. The M
tional Capital, where the War Department is
located, is the appropriate place for the head
quarters Of the army in time Of peace. It
would bo Just as consistent for the United
States Treasurer to locate himself in St. Louis,
with the Treasury Department in Washing
ton, IS it is for the General Of the Army to
locate himself in St. Louis, with the War De-
partmcnt in Washington. The advantages
of the immediate proximity Of the General of
the Army to the War Department are almost
too apparent to need mention The economy
of the change is an Important consideration
in these straitened times. His connection
with the army will b just as intimate
in these days Of telegraph facili-
ties, even to the most distant frontier
post, IS if he were in St. Louis. The
means II communication between himself
and the Aecretary will be greatly improved,
as well as with the Military Committees of
Congress, and the Department generally, 60
that for the prompt dispatching Of business,
as well as for its economy, there will be great
advantages in the change, which no one will
question excepting the people Of St. Louis,
and this is Of very slight if Of any conss-
quence at all.
There is another very material considera-
ton Immediately after the discovery of
Secretary BE1KsAp's disgrace, Gen. SHERMAN
stated in an interview with q reporter that
one of tho principal causes which led to the
transfer Of the headquarters from Washing
ton to St. Louis was the impossibMty OF his
living in Washington within his salary, SO
numerous aud exacting were the social de-
mands made upon him. not only by friends
and acqunintances, but even by strangers, who
invaded the privacy of his home and
expected to be- entertained upon the grounds
that he was public man Now, Gen. SHEn~
MAN is just the man to 50 to Washington and
1erolutionize this odious and ruinous system
of living. There is probably not man in
this country who more fully enjoys the public
confidence, irrespective of partisan consid-
erations. In his long and useful public
career, not corrupt or dishonorable act has
ever been attributed to him. Ho has proved
himself to be an able and skillful officer and
an upright, exemplary gentleman. His posi-
ton and reputation enable him to take bold
stand with regard to the frivolous conven-
tionalities and silly, as well as expensive,
etiquette Of fashionable life. The example
Of such a man in Washington would, in the
first place, be constant protest against any
further co11uptions or frauds in the War De-
partment. In the second place, the example
of such man, with courage enough to defy
the follies and extravagances Of fashion, and
to live strictly within his income, would
have very material influence in changing
the present false condition of social life in
Washington. It would be of little use for
eDy ordinary person to attempt this social
revolution but man like Gen. SHERMAN
could WELD mighty influence, aud, as he
has the disposition 10 make fight against
extravaganza, AID is q man Of frugal and
economical habit OF life, We trust that he will
employ these "weak piping times Of peace
By taking up his position in Washington and
making as gallant and persistent q fight
against dead beats, adyenture1s and adven'
turesses, spendthritts, the horde Of
foolish females who follow fashion into its
most riotons e1trayagances, and the equally
large horde Of weak men who have not force
of character enough to resist the reckless
waste that fashion requires Of them. Gen.
SHERMAN is Just the man to go to Washington
and set this silly herd lesson of living with
in their incomes; just the man to kick inter
lopers out of his house, as he kicked them
ont Of his camp during tho War; just the
man to let his fzienda know they cannot ez-
psct sxtrayaganos in his houss just the NAN