The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-12-26
Washington Letter.

Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, D. c.; Dec. 20, 1873.
Army reorganization is lively sub
ject here just now, and is likely to be-
come more lively before the discussion
of it ends in Congress. The General
in-chief has expressed his approval of
the bill lately reported by Senator
Burnside's Joint Committee, and to a
man up bamboo sprout it would ap-
pear that the grounds for approval are
tolerably plain. Your correspondent
isn't much of a warrior, neither in the
science or practice, nor can Gen. Burn
side be accused of anything brilliant
in this line, though if the mere matter
of reduction is all that is required, his
method few years ago was certainly
effective and practical. One of the
gravest admonishments of General
public life, was his warning against a
standing army, and the maintenance
of such an institution, upon anything
like large scale, is foreign to the
whole theory and spirit of our govern
ment. Since the civil war our army
has been top-heavy and incongruous
concern, only saved from a thorough
overhauling by Indian complications
and depredations. The House of Rep
resentatives, and especially the Militia
ry Committee, headed by Gen. Ban
ming, has had the matter under consid-
Grafton for two years, and the Commits
sion which has just reported, grew out
of their agitation of the subject.
The bill unanimously reported is a
voluminous document, and recon-
mends some very radical changes as
well as considerable reduction. But
the great objection thinking men have
discovered in its provisions is the ten
dency to subordinate civil to military
authority. Tecumsey Sherman likes
it, evidently, because it makes him
practically Secretary of War General,
and SO far as he is concerned, Presi-
dent of the United States, or Com
mander-in-chief. The Secretary of
War is left no authority worth speak
ing of, and his office is made substan-
TALLY a first-class clerkship. This is
of course pleasing to a man of Sher-
mans egotism and arbitrary inclina-
tions; but is none the less wrong
in principle because at his death
Secretary, General, and Military
President all die, there being no pro-
visions for a successor. OF course, if
we are to have standing army,it needs
recognizing, and the elimination of a
few superfiuous but expensive shoulder
straps, is one of the first demands
The present plan does this, and per-
haps, in time, it may be brought down
to a basis of not over two officers to
one private; but the Capitalization fea-
lures of the measure ought to be
squelched. The tendency of the day
is to the concentration of power at the
National Capital. It is an impulse
born of war, and fotsered by Radical
practices, and the flnger-boards of his
tory warn us that if we are not wise
and prudent, it will end in ruin. AL
ready compact and powerful party is
calling for the return of Grant to the
Chief Magistracy, that we may have a
strong government. Consideration OF
the army subject has been set for jan
uary 9th in the House.
1t is evident that the manouvres of
Senator Blaine are not advancing his
presidential prospects to the degree he
anticipated. His heaviest gun has
been discharged, yet no increase in his
popularity is visible to the naked eye.
Senator Thurman's amendment to
Blaine's resolution promises to bring
forth quite as much fruit asthe original
inquiry, for, as Senator Wallace so
aptly stated in his speech, the investi-
CATION of Cameronism in Pennsylvania
and aristocratic bulldozing in Massa-
chusetts will develop facts quite as
startling as anything likely to be found
in South Carolina or any other South
ern State. And now that the resolu-
ton has passed, with no serious oppo-
sition from the Democrats, the Repub-
Hcans are having high old time Or
ganizing the committee. Blaine abso-
lutely refuses to do his own dirty work
and Conkling, who isn't aiding Blaine's
schemes to any alarming extent, not
if he knows it, also declines to serve.
The Senate will have to pass con-
scription act. But the worst feature
of the whole business is the refusal to
conduct the investigation with open
doors. If it is an honest inquiry, and
not a machine for manufacturing party
capital by means of forged statements
and false cross-mark affidavits, the
light of day won't hurt it. By direc-
ton of the Democratic majority of the
House, representatives of the press
were admitted to all sessions of the
Potter committee, and the public al
ways knew just what was going on.
There will be a grave distrust of an in
vestigation conducted in any other
way.
The House Committee on Appropri-
ations is endeavoring to get from the
Department of Injustice some informa-