National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-03-18
PRonoIION IN TIE ARnY.

A resolution was adopted in the House
OF Representatives on MDudIy calling
upon the Secretary OF War for report as
10 whether officers of the army have been
promoted since the ED of June, 1874, as
provided in section 1904 of the Revised
"Stsiutes, and if not, the reason for the
"same" Section 1904 reads Promo
tons in the line shall be made through
whole army in its several lines of
"artillery, cavalry and infantry, respect
"ively." This is the only, law on the sub
ject IN the Revised Statutes. Section 5595
says: "The foregoing seventy three titles
embrace the statutes of the United States
general and permanent in their nature in
force on the 1st day of December 1878,
Gas revised and consolidated by commits
siOners appointed under an act of Con-
"gress, and the same shall be designated
" and cited as the Revised Statutes of the
" United States" There has been no law
passed by Congress since that date. Sec
ton 5J96 reads: "All acts of Congress
"passed prior to said 1st day of December,
1878, any portion Of which is embraced
I" in any section of said revision, are hereby
repealed, and the section applicable
thereto shall be in force in line thereof;
"all parts of such acts not contained in
such revision having been repealed or
superseded by subsequent acts, or not
being general and permanent in their
nature: Provided, That the incorpora-
ton into said revision of any general and
permanent provision taken from an act
making appropriations or from an act
containing other provisions of a private,
local or temporary character shall not
repeal or in any way affect appropriation
" or any provision of a private, local or
temporary character contained in any of
"said acts, but the same shall remain in
force; and all acts of Congress passed
"prior to said last-named day, no part of
(which are embraced in said revision,
shall not be affected or changed by its
enactment. 1t is, therefore, very plain
that the only mode by which officers of the
army can be legally promoted is that
laid down in section 1904. This
view is taken of the matter both
in the Senate and House military
committees. Bills covering this subject
have been introduced in both houses, but
so plain appears to be the law that it was
thought the introduction of resolution of
this kind would meet with a favora-
BILE decision from the new Secretary of
War, and thus save further legisl ation.
Since the adoption Of the Revised Statutes,
the War Department continued to promote
Junior line officers, regimentally, as under
the old army regulations, which are now
obsolete. A member of Congress, how
ever, called at the War Department, shortly
before General Belknap went out, to in
quire into this matter, and was informed
that, although it had heretofore been held
that section 1904 did not apply to this sub
ject, the law was admitted, and it was
stated that it would be recognized here
after, but such has not yet been done.
The manifest injustice and unfairness of
promotion under the old system is readily
admitted by every impartial mind at all
conversant with the matter, and so satisfied
are the gentlemen of the Military Commit
tee that they have but one opinion in re-
gard to the matter. A single glance at the
army register will show how harshly the
old system worked. Take the Fifth infan-
try for example. 1t will be seen that there
are officers in that regiment that have been
second lieutenants for ten years, while in
another regiment, the Thirteenth, it will
appear that officers who hare not been in
the service four years have been first lieu
tenants for nearly two years. Again, it
appears that IN the Fifth infantry nine
of the first ieutenants held their present
commissions before the junior captain in
the regiment was even an officer of the
army, and yet he has been a captain over
seven years, and those gentlemen are only
first lieutenants still, several of them hav-
ing been in the army over five years before
he entered the service at all. These are
no isolated cases: In the Tenth infantry
we find seven first ieutenants of over ten
years service and seven second lieutensnts
of over nine years, while in many other
regiments there are no officers of these
grades with dates of commissi ons within
four or five years Of that time. The natu-
raj inquiry is, why all this unfairness; this
injustice of being co ntinually jumped and
ranked by juniors? Simply because of the
old absurd way Of promoting officers to the
grade of captain regimentally.
Judge Taft being profound lawyer, it
is hoped will give this matter his personal
attention or refer it to the Attorney Gen.
eral for decision, and thus do justice to
1unrthr and LAM clasc of nffinars