The New York herald., 1876-03-23
FRANK IN THE NAVY"
THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE LINE AND STAFF
BETWEEN AUTHORITY AND PRETENsIoN.

BETWEEN AUTHORITY AND PRETENsIoN.
To THE EDITOR THE HERALD
The HERALD has an editorial in its issue OF the 22d
which, under the above caption has hit the nail on the
head Its staff correspondent "Jusuce," in IFS issue
OF the 10TH is probably responsible for the editorial
conclusion People Of common sense begin now 10 SEQ
the drit Of the staff agtators to appreciate the
pretensions Of the staf at their just value.
1t would be maufestly far better the HERALD says,
for the naval service and the country If the socalled
sta officers had rank whatever except such titles
OF courtesy may DO necessary TO grade them with
each other and give them the social position and
pay TO which they are entitled, and OF which no re-
spectacle line officer has thought OF depriving
them-many gross falsehoods to the contrary not
wlthstanding The spirit which has pervaded the
sta throughout this long and bitter struggle has been
calculated TO deprive them OF the sympathies OF even
the most moderate mon who mprchend the question
at Their object is not the good OF the navy
The good OF the country but tho possession OF
ira button or two strip OF gold lace or SO. or tho
addition Of title and command, which, sgnlfying
nothing far their special duties concerned,
will confer on them nought but ridcue and merely
destroy the value OF the title without conferrng any
extra honor them, while the command pretcnsion
Will demoraizs the navy captain doctor, cngia-
Ger, paymaster professor, chaplain constructor is
the quintcssence Of absurdhy. IL is bad enough to
have pay and medical directors with nothing TO direct
and pay and medical inspectors with nothing to in
spect.
The absurdity OF the thing is rendered tho more ap
parent when we see the captain doctor" direct
ing the compounding OF blue pills and black draughts
or commander doctor' inspecting the contents OF
medical chest These worthy gentlemen may pitc-
ousy plead that positive rank necessary to them TO
execute these duties, but the barnyard sense OF the
OF tho thing when once II is put fairly and squarely
before them The TACT rs, the line is the navy and the
sta alter all akcn at its bcst). amerc adjunct which
could be dispensed with at any time by adopting tne
contract system largely IN vogue at this time III the
medical corps OF the army.
The line officers alone form a special corps, corps
sal 0eneris and trained from early boyhood for fixed
and well defined purpose, the duties or which render
them more or less undt for any vocation but The one
specially their own-to wit, TO superintend the con-
structlon OF ships, and steam machinery and TO
handle and tight the same as TO insure victory for
the country. The doctor III he is good doctor) Is
doctor everywhere whether ashore aoat and Is far
apt to be we'll posted In his profession II taken
for the cruise and well paid for his services than II
tive to advance i'll their profession, and practically as
rule do not advance after the last examination Is
heidi while the same may be said o the engineer and
the Others the paymaster being simply socially a
spectacle bonded clerk bookkeeper who tho
responsibility, while the real clerk yeoman or writer
performs the actual duties of the Office
1t has been very common thing for the stan and
Its friends to disparage the line officers and TO stigma
tZe them arstocrats whereas the actual truth Is
that being appointed from the Congressional districts
throughout the country, there is body Of men in
existence. except the House OF Representatives, so
thoroughly represent of the American people, and
therefore less aristocratc The exactions OF military
government are not pleasant to civilians and therefore
the staff chaie under unavoidable and necessary
srants and Its restrictions by abusing those IN
authority them and holding them up ns military
Tho staff officers represent no principle whatever
appointed from civil life through political per-
sonai influence mainly If not almost exclusively from
he In
varably enter the service as matured men and with
habits non-mtary, formed and hard TO get rid Of In
iact staff officers may be said to stand in the rea
the navy that the bishops said TO do in rea
tion The church-,hcy necessary its being
but merely TO its well being Hundreds of merchant
ships sail the without doctors supercargoes
paymasters and the owners or crews are apparently
the for it. AS for the engineers, good prac
tical 'engne drivers who ashamed OF their
caing-whlch is important and honorable one-are
ali that any service needs absolutely These men
should be warrant officers and well paid for their
vice in the engine and 1re room To design
and construct engines and machinery quite another
affair." needing talent and experience, and when our sol
dsdnt naval engineers have produced such results
viii command the respect and confidence OF the COM
munty will be time for them 10 urge their pretensons
the navy is flooded with ''cngneers," they are in a
most amentabe vocation to results Yet while the
staff and its friends stigmatize the line officers
tocrats they are yet with marvellous inconsistency,
camorous year after year before Congress Tor the line
titles and distinctive honors. But Mr.. Jones is not
ssCaptan" Commander" Jones because he,
Jones' has anything In him 10 warrant this special
title but because under the naval system It his duty
to command ship of certain rate or class, If there
FORE Doctor, Engineer Paymaster, Chaplain and Con-
structor Smith desire tho titles they manfestly
desire something which not necessary for the
ton of their dutes-thereore honorary and personal
ana virtually arstocratic the with which they
fling this epithet at the line
The controversy is disgusting, and should be ended
at ana forever. There are two ways to do So
One adopt tho contract system ana appoint doc
tors, paymasters, engineers and chaplaIns for the
cruise paying them according to their talents and
pacty. This is the cheaper plan OF the two The
is TO graduate all officers except doctors (who may
be appointed the contract system) from the United
States Naval Academy, graduating each young into
that Of the service for which the Board siders
him best qualified. This Is the West Point plan, and
certainly works well, though the army engineers and
ordnance officers como from the class the
airy and infantry men. This will Rvo the navy q real
sta and not a sham afflicted with much preten-
sion and little performance such we have now
Let naval engineers be engineers" IN tho
true sense of the word, and let us have
a corps OF practical 'engine drivers" be-
sides who shall be warrant officers and whose duties
under the engineer attached to each ship shall be
to boss the frclnen, oilers and coalheavers the
dash pot and monkey wrench, and run tho engines
efhcionty and we'll
The naval service was certainly relatively quite as
efficient in the days of Hull Dccstur, Perry and Mac
donough when doctors and purscrs simply
doctors and pursers and assistant surgeons merely
doctors mates. In those days these men the
intimate personal friends OF the line officers sea
officers Of the PERIOD may be readily by perus
ing any old memoir OF the day. Doctors, pursers
licutena master commandants associated on
terms OF perfect social equality, and were friends
Under the present detestabe state OF things their sue
cessors In the American navy are'fast vergng on a
period when thcy will bo bitter and relentless enemies
PAUL JONES'
THE EXCISE BOARD.