Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1877-05-30

Dcmaos'1.ysRaosnusspbWsu1nupssssssxAs,
uen' Sherman IL professional S9i'
der, the actual commander of the
army, with pay and emoluments az
gregating eighteen thousand dollars q
year. The New York Sun, says, he !:
also a good deal of politician, and
has no taste for hiding his light under
a bushel. He is troubled with n griev
ance, and never loses chance to ven
tilate it, as he did the other day AT the
anniversary dinner OF the Chamber oi
Commerce, in very bad taste and with
u glaring disregard Of facts.
He undertook to criticise and tC
sneerat the economy which was carried
through by the Democratic House o.
Representatives in the last Congress
after bitter opposition by the Senate
and the Administration, by way o
showing that the army had been badly
treated. 1t is the habit of a certain
class Of officers to make light of every
effort ofretrenchment especially when
ii applies to their own pay and gran
deur. They took upon themselves anC
the officers of the navy as belonging
to an aristocracy which the Govern
ment is bound to maintain without re
gard to expcsc.
More than this, since the era of ex.
travagancc and corruption began, they
have contended for a big army and a
big navy, as necessary to their conse-
quence and rank. These ideas did not
exist before the civil war The gal.
liant and distinguished men who had
won their laurels and wore them mod.
estly were content with what the
country could afford They never i'm.
portuned Congress to revive obsolete
rank or TO create Offices, unknown to
our service All this has been changed,
and still Gen. Sherman is not happy.
"What," said he, sis the army of the
United States? Twenty thousand
enlisted men and twenty-five hundred
officers Yet it is only few days
ago that an official order was issued
by the War Department reducing the
army TO twenty thousand five hundred
which had been voted last year for the
Sioux war, then supposed to be immi-
nent. Gen. Sherman could not posi-.
bly, be ignorant of the fact, and there
Ioro when he cut of 5000 soldiers by
a figure of speech, be did not increase
his credit with those who may look
upon him as an authority for the force
and efficiency of the army.
The condition of the country de.
mands the strictest economy in the
administration OF all its affairs. The
civil service was largely reduced in the
last Congress, and will be still further
cut down in the present one. More
than seven million were stricken from
the navy, again5tan organized clamor,
without in the least degree imparing
efficiency. The army alone escaped
the axe, and that was owing to com.
bination of circumstances which can.
not well recur.
Beyond the imperative necessity for
curtailing the public expenditures, the
army is numerically lar beyond any
real or supposed need OF the country.
We have seen during the last eight
years to what degrading partisan uses
the army was put, until States were
converted into satraples, and the bayo-
net substituted for the ballot box.
And IL is no secret, whatever may be
professed now, that Gen. Sherman did
as much as any other living man to
favor that policy, and especially "
collect force at the capital TO over
awe the House of Representatives and
inaugurate Fraudulent President.
There has been altogether too much
army in our recent politics and the
time has come when the standing
menace must be set aside, and the
force reduced to the lowest point con.
sistcnt with protection to the frontiers
and with taking care of the forts.
When Gen. Sherman tolls the public
thatcommerce depends upon the army,
and that pirates would be free to an
chor at our wharves and take posses.
sion of our cities but for this protec.
tion, he insults the public intelligence
and depreciatcs his own character for
candor.
Ten thousand men are abundant for
our standing army in time Of peace.
The fathers warned the people against
the dangers OF military authority.
They had seen the fate OF other re.
publics, and regarded the army us
among the chief perils to which free
government would be subjected. This
warning ought to be needed after the
recent experience, Certainly, when
great policy is to be carried out, the
army should bear Its portion Vi the
retrenchment Thopeople insist upon
a reduction that will save fifteen mil.
lions a year to the taxpayers, and Con
gress dare not refuse it. AT least We
look to the House OF Representatives
TO stand firm.
PAGARIES or IMPERSONAL