The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-27

| ere ben. SHENNAN 10 say 10 Nal-NiI
voN MoLrKE I'VE Americans have hit on
an original and grand military idea. Free
house rent is the true principle on which to
organize an army the great prusSian sol
dicr would stand u monument of dumb as
constituent The army of the United
States l. difiuscd through PIP posts. SHER-
MAS would add. g Are they stratrgical pO-
sitons = voN MoLTKE would inquire when
his breath came to him. " Not az all. They
are houses rent free. would be- the answer
Of SHERMAN, unconscious Of the gathering
of derision in the great Pru~sau'- mind.
SHERMAN would Ice right in his fact.
liouse-rcnt free is the principle OF the or
gan1ation Of the United States army, and
We invite the attention of Congress to the
shameful truth.
On the northern edge of tho Strait of
Mncbnaw connecting Lakes Huron and
Michigan, is the pretty island Of Mackuaw.
1t is a United States military post. Ii COM
mands nothing. II defends nothing. The
territory north and south is American. The
channels of commerce all around it are 50
wide aud deep that the guns Of the fort can
not cover them. The island is lovely and is
| fashionable summer watering place. The
post buildings are connections and luXuri-
Gus. Al Fort Macklnaw are stationed two
companies cf the Twenty Infantry
and about ten commiss Toned officers. These
men should have been in Idaho or Dakota
| lighting Ncz Pcrces or Sioux Indians. At
| Mackinaw they were If no more use than
they would Ice in a national sunday school
| convention. Why are they kept there The
real rea-o j. because Muckinuw j. q CHARM
ing place for army officers t. live in.
The nominal reasons are that our frontier
must Ice defended. and that there IS large
amount OF public property at the post which
must be guarded against waste and loss
These are trau-i~rcntly childish hi-; hut
ay-harcd men annually swear to them.
At Fort Niagara in the state Of New York
Is one company of the Third Artillciy: at
Fort Ontario another company. at Fort
Porter in Buffalo, j. another charmingiy in
cluded in the citys park and with paved
and ga,-lighted a>cn..c- to theatres, balls
dinners. pretty women. and concerts. Tho
aged iib j, That this artillery defends our
impcrillod frontier. Bat There is not sin
gle British soldier In Canada. At Newport
Barracks, Keutu ky are two computes ol
the Eighteenth Infantry, with uo possible
enemy IN sight At II. Augustine. ia Florida.
'wo companies OF The F.tih Artillery vary
HE Pleasantly 20 the invalid girls from New
England. hut utterly waste the money their
mdintcnauc" among orange groves costs tho
country. Two companies OF the First Ar
till"ry play soldier at Fort Trumhul Con-
nccticut. and give a military flavor t. free
of-rnnt housekeeping there. At Fort Warren.
in Massachusetts, tine officers Of two other
companies OF the First Artillery are CHARM
ingly housed and provided for.and AZ that ex-
posed point guard the United States against
invasion 10y sea. Simply because there are
delightful residences at Fort Brady, Mich
igan. are two companies Of the Twenty
second Infantry stationed there There il
no military reason whatever for the exist
ence of the post. And there is none for
quartering at Fort Adams, in Rhode Island,
four companies OF the First Artillery. save
that life there, house rent free, is exceed
ingly pleasant, and that the officers and
their wives constitute a part of the society
of Newport.
There are in the United States 2l2 military
posts. OF these $50 are GaIli9oncd lay not
less than one company of soldiers each. and
% by dctachmcnts of loss than one company
each; or they are in charge of ord
nance sergeants. This will explain
the diffusion Of the army. Th, will
account for the largcncss Of the force
at the East, and the smallnoss Of it at
the West. This will explain the alleged want
of soldiers for the Indian country and tho
Texas frontier The history Of the United
States army Is in part the history OF the set
Element Of the country With the extern
sion of the frontier westward new post
were established Every Indian war made
forts, with officers quarters and soldiers
barracks. All Of these, when PLEASANTLY
located, have been maintained. They con
stitutcd homes for army officers, aud
were never suffered to fall into utter
decay. These pleasant homes scatter
the army The officers housekeeping
draws to It soldiers for their COM
mands and their mental service. This
widely separated housekeeping ab-orh- a
very large proportion of the enlisted
men in the army and dsabos it, Those 2l4
military posts are the rot and curse of the
service. 1t is largely these that make our
army the most expensive in the world in
proportion to its numbers. Tho estimate for
its support for the year ending June 80, 1s1s
including predicted deficiencies" is S94,-
100000 This is for 5000 men. The stand.
ing army Of Austria in the year 1919 amount
ed TO 27S,i7O men, and cost only S3s 072, 600
Tho army proper ofGroat Britain consist Of
l29,2sl men, and costs but SG2 2jlOOo If il
were in this country and under the mon
strous nismanagoment of our Military Ring
it would cost Sl76,O00,OO0
The people are tired Of the extravaganza
and waste which the regular army has
fastened on the industry Of the nation
, They demand of Congress to REDUCE THt
ARMY TO TEN THOUSAND MEN!
HANNIBAL lIAMLIN is the oldest, DORSEY
Of Arkansas the youngest, Judge DAVID DNyI,
! the heaviest. and all things taken into consid