The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-05-26
Saturday. Nay 2s. 1877.
A Commission in the Army Not Con
tract for Life.

At the Chamber of Commerce dinner
to Rutherford B. Hayes, intended to
strengthen his shaky seat in the presiden
tial office, Gen. Sherman was assign
ed to the congenial duty of reply
ing to the regular. toast, The
Army His speech was protest
against its reduction, and a plea tor its
perpetuity. His plea based on the declara
ton that the United States have contracted
with every officer educated for the army
and commissioned into it, to retain him lin
service for life; and that to reduce the
army or to abolish it, would be a breach
of contract violative of vested rights and
dishonoring to the government.
Gen. Sherman's looseness of speech and
Inaccuracy of statement are proverbial;
but his assertion that an army officer
holds 10 his commission a contract on the
part of the United States to feed, clothe,
and pay him for life, exceeds In wildne IS
any of his previous eccentrieities. He is
the frat man 10 the nation to publicly pre-
fer this claim. He ought to know that it is
made in the face of the constitution Of
the United States and of the act Of con
tgress Of March 2, 1921, which organized
he army. and of the acts amendatory
thereof,
The first article of the eighth section
Of the constitution gives congress power
Ito raise and support. armies; but no APP
preparation of money 10 that use shall be
for a longer term than two years. The
plurality of the word will be noted
mics" not an army. The article clearly
contemplated successive armies, as made
necessary by war, and not a permanent
army 1t contemplated the raising and
support of armies when needed, and not
their retention when unnecessary; aud the
restriction Of appropriations for the main
tenance of che armies to short periods OF
two years is conclusive that the trainers OF
the constitution had 10 mind provisional
and temporary forces, aud not perma'
nent establishment.
The West Point Military Academy was
organized by act of congress on March G.
1902. The third section of the act re
quired each cadet to sign articles with
the consent OF his parent or guardian, by
which he shall engage to serve five y cars
unless sooner discharged. This period
of contracted service Of their country b,
the cadets, in repayment for their educa
ton and nurture, was subsequently ex
tended by the act of congress of July 5
1888, which declared; The term fo
which cadets hereafter admi tied into thu
Military Academy at West Point shall en-
gage to serve, be and the same is hereby
increased to eight years, unless sooner dis
charged.
In both of these laws the United State;
explicitly declare their right to discharge
from the army the commissioned graduate
of the West Point Academy whenever the!
see fit to do So No man has ever ques
toned this right till Gen. Sherman made
the astonishing statement that the contrac
of military service on the part of the gov
eminent with the officer was for life. I
the officer was held to serve for life, tn
government might equitably be held t
support him for life. But he is bound fo
only eight years, and then is free to gC
Mutuality of obligation is wholly wantin
to Gen. Sherman claim for the life sup
port of an officer The commissioner
graduates of West Point have ever fe
free to resign after entering the army
To innumerable instances they have throw
up their cOmmissions-to marry ric
wives, to go into :ivil business, to get ri
of frontier service, from dislike Of the
been questioned. And correspondence
INC iiH"U VI 'ho C1iteu states 70 uISchai
has never been questioned, till the Ell
deavor to diminish the waste of the publ
money by reducing the army to te
thousand men has reused the oppOsitiC
of the contractors who feed, clothe, ar
transport the army. and of the office
who went into it for a genteel and ea'
support, and who canoOt bear to face II
necessity of earning their own living.
Reduce the army to 10000 nen.-N
Sun.