Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-06-07
TO BovNpINc BANNING
An Army onacer Gives the Army R-ducer
Few Good Hints.

: An Army Omcer Gives tho Army Reduce
Few Good Hints.
The following article is addressed by a
army officer of long experiences to Hon. L
B. Banning:
Ihave seen the text of a bill you have il
troduced into the house of representative
for the reduction of the army. 1t shout
!. be called "a bill to make paupers of til
wives and children of five hundred men /;
t men, too, who as a rule are honest, faithful
3 and honorable; men, who ten to fifteen year
ago, in good faith, gave up other callings t
take up that of arms, because they were toll
that there they could be sure Of permanen
cy, and that if they went into it and gav'
up all other business, they should never b.
disturbed.
May I ask what this raid is made agains
the army for? Not, surely, because oul
army is too large, for if you will ask the
frontier, they will tell you we have no more
protection than we need. Because, then
our country is too poor to support an army
of 25, 900? I think not. We have now
nearly or quite fifty millions Of people in the
United States. So, our army is as five to
each 1000 of the population. If you ask
the people, they do not say so. Then what
is the reason you can give honestly? 1t
seems to me like an attempt to make polltl-
cal capital for yourself and your party IN
that you can say: "see, We have saved
such an amount to the country" And you
make this saving off the army: LIST, be-
cause being so few in number, it can have
very little political influence; ID, because
living in the east, you do not know the use
and benefit the army is to the west. Is it
not possible to reduce the army and yet
work no such gross injustice as your bill will
contemplate? Let me state a case. l know
N officer who left a good business eighteen
,ears ago and entered the army. Millions
# money has passed through his hands, but
lone has stuck to them. He has a wife and
TX children, brought up as he had a right
bring them up, with the promise of this
great government that his bread and water
'hould be sure. He is now in receipt Of
g, 900 a year, with mt political influence.
such as he had eighteen or twenty years
90 is gone. He is forgotten by his political
riends long since. Now turn him out with
years pay, $4,000, and what can he do
o make that $4,000 bring him in a living?
lou can answer nothing but, III don't
now" Nor do ]. No! be just to this man,
nd hundreds like him, and say, We will see
o one who has given his best years, his
reducing years. to his country, shall be
lrned out to pick up the threads of bust
ess where they were dropped forever long
ears ago. II you must put these men out
+ service, it can still be done, and not be
holly unjust. Retire those who have been
i less than ten years on half pay, over ten
ears three quarters pay. Make the retire
tent Of all compulsory at sixty years of age
IL the e quarters pay. Let the unassigned
Ulcers remain for twelve months, filling all
acanc!es from it for that length of time
hen retire those left on that list, as l sug-
est above. Let no favoritirm be sh own
nut cyen-handtd Justice to all. and you and
our compeers will show the coun ry that it
> something else than ~demagogism that
mpels your action.