The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-05-17
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, u. u, May IL, 1911.
One of first results of the failure OF
the last Congress to make appropriations
is in the reduction of the army, which
now by order of the President viii be
reduced at once to the minimum of U.s.
900 men. The proposal to disband the
whole army met with little favor in the
Cabinet, for no one could ignore the
fact that the President was bound to
repair, in so far as lies in his power, the
derelict;ons of Congress. To disband
the army and smash things generally.
simply because Congress did not do It's
full constitutional duty, would be crlml-
nal in the highest degree, while pruning
off the several regiments authorized to
meet some particular emergency is emil
nently proper, for thereby the regular
force can be carried until ample provis-
ion is made for its pay. 1t won't hurt
much anyhow for the regulars to exper-
fence for once, what every volunteer had,
as a rule an irregular pay day. We are
fully aware that officers in bomb proof,
and band boxes whose sole duty consists
in taking charge of recruiting stations
and military posts, and in times of war,
staying in the rear with their regiments
while the volunteers did the fighting,
need pay promptly. Yet we think it but
fair, they shall in this one point exper-
fence what the volunteers had to under
go-lack of funds. Apropos of army
matters is the case of Major Reno. This
officer has had his sentence of dismissal
from the army mitigated to suspension
from pay and rank for two years. This
was done at the instance of the War De
partment, and is based upon the fact
that Major Reno has good war record
as a soldier We don't like it. The
same influences still obtain in the War
Department now which during the war
pardoned everything with regular, and
forgave nothing with volunteer. And
it is an insult to justice that the courts
at law are compelled to mete out punish
ment to criminal without regard to his
status during the war, while the War
Department may condone the most COW
ardly criminality simply because the cul-
prlt did his duty years ago. Major Reno
tried to seduce a brother officers wife
in the absence of her husband, and when
foiled prosecuted the poor woman with
the hatred of hyena, even going so far
as to SANDER her character, and to forbid
the chaplain from holding religious
services in her presence. Such conduct
in civil life if retaliated with bullet by
the husband, would find no jury to con-
vict. Yet Major Reno is simply sus-
pended. Captain Baker of the British
army was dismissed. But Reno is made
hero. As volunteer have no SYM
pathy with this West Point assumption
that its graduates can commit no sin,
and as civilian I do think Major Reno
is SO far short of holiness as to deserve
at least the merited punishment of dis
graceful dismissal and drumming from
the army with cropped lair and ears.
His war record should weigh no more ID
his behalf, than with the burglar who
steals from women her property rather
than that of far more value, her char
acter. AS Shakespeare says, the one is
dress and can be replaced, but the other
never, and we deem an exalted thief as
even worse than civilian.