Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-02-09
WASHINGTON LETTER.


From our regular correspondent.
Last week bill was introduced
by the Committee on Military At
fairs making some important
changes in the organization and
payroll of the army, but in no way
impairing its strength and effective
ness as a fighting engine. Appear
ances are not favorable to the pas
sage of the bill. Too many MEM
b9rs of Congress have mOthers-in-
law and other female connections
who are in one way or another we'd
ded to the army, and the bill will
peduoe the national expenses to the
tune of $4,000, 900 a year. General
Butler made a wittyspeech supposed
to favor the bill, but he will vote
against it. He said there were one
hundred and twenty-five officers in
Washington busily engaged in
avoiding the govt, and that when in
camp these fine gentlemen amuse
themselves by laying out two Jumps
of sugar and making bets as to
which will first attract fly.
The secret of the lobby strength
of the army is its direct and indirect
female power. The military bill
has always been manipulated and
shaped to please the army, and the
arrogant language of Gen. Sherman
in a recent interview is but a refec-
ton Of the general sentiment of the
army officers in relation to the in
reference of the Taxpayers, through
Congress, with what the officers
have come to consider their heredir
tary rights and prerogatives. 1t
would seem reasonable and deco
rous, from any other than military
standpoint, that an army officer
should see the propriety of his hav-
ing a small portion of the financial
ruin that has come down like night
on this land, and from which no
other class is exempt. But General
Sherman, who, twenty years ago,
as superintendent of a school in
Louisiana, was able to live comfort
ably on 81 800 a year, now pirates
that he can scarcely meet expenses
with his salary of $4,000 and per-
quisites. A powerful female lobby
of cousins, wives, daughters, moth
eTs and mothers-in-law of army of
ficers, and relations of too many leg
islatOrs, crush Congress in their coils.
The baleful influence of women in
legislation the devil only knows.
West Point has waltZed with and
welded itself to women of political
influence for years; it has married
and intermarried with Congress I'M
til now the country finds itself sad
died and straddled by a hybred po-
litico-military aristocracy that nOth-
ing short of desperate buclzing will
Granted that General
Sherman and other Generals per-
formed distinguished services dur
ing the war-so did the armless and
legless privates, and the sacrifices of
the latter were greater than of the
former. Sacrifice is the highest ele-
ment of heroism. / never see the
colossal bronze aaValaymlen with
which the squares of Washington
are dotted without emotions of dis
gust and shame. If we desire hon-
estly to commemorate the heroism
of war, why do we not fix in bronze
the one-armed and the one-legged
soldiers, or even Those. without arms
or legs? 4 few monuments of these
would be very original and terribly
picturesque. Thqg might offend the
sense of the ladies and the
exquisite army officers, but to the
public generally they would be sug.
gestiveand provocativeof refiection;
AZ least they would not offend what
we call the trnth of history. Some
time in the enlightened future we
will be traducedafor our golden calf
Worship-for mounting, at great ex-
Dense, on colossal bronze horses
hose who rode horses in the flesh,
while those whowe riding clutches
n the flesh were left unhonored and
often united. W
The debate yesterday indicates the
lefeat of the military academy bill 1
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