The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-26
The Army Commission.

Defective in many respects, and especially
In regard to the number OF the rank and
file a. s the army act Of the late session, 1t
contains the following section Of practical
value, dependent ON the report OF the joint
Congressional committee, which is now in
session at the White Sulphur Springs:
sac That from and after the passage Of this act
n, promotions in the army, IN each and every Grade.
arm corps. and department thereof shall cease. and
thereafter promotions Appointments shah be made
10 n any vacancy which may occur or be created there
until after such report shall be- made and acted
By Congress. Pustd that this limitation shall apply
to the line OF the army below the rank Of Captain
halt is called, at least for time, in the
rapid promotions in the higher grades Of the
army, until Congress shall act upon the
report of this commission. A failure 10
approve the report, or TO substitute other
legislation for that recommended by IT,
would stop the wheels Of promotion, and
lcavc deadlock tor Congress to relieve
hereafter. AS a matter Of necessity, the
whole body Of young officers will be most
urgent for action by Congress. They know
the nature and extent Of the existing abuses,
and they also know now that until they are
reformed out OF existence, there is no hope
for them to advance single step beyond
their present grades.
In addition, therefore, to the popular de-
mand, that these excrescences shall be cut
on, there Is an active and Interested force in
the army itself TO aid In the work Of reform.
II the joint committee be disposed toput an
end to evils that can no longer be concealed
or denied, there is an excellent opportunity
TO bring the army down to proper peace
establishment, suited To the wants OF the
country and TO the financial condition Of the
people. II the public expectation in this re-
spect be denied again, as 1t has been under
various prctexts during the last three years,
then IL is To be hoped a majority will be
found in the new House Of Representatives
OF the next Congress TO refuse supplies for
the military establishment until its chiefs
learn wisdom and obedience to the will Of
the people.
Outside the pay Of the army which is ex-
plicitly voted IN every bill, no man, how
ever well informed he may be. can specify
the actual cost Of any other branch Of the
service. The accounts are all more or less
speculative, and the estimates are prepared
with intentional Indebtedness, covering a
multitude Of real and many nominal items
IN order that the inquirer shall be led into
n labyrinth, without a thread 10 cxtricate
him from its tortuous twists and turns.
The many millions which remain to be
handled, after the item Of pay is satisfied,
form an annual capital to be drawn upon
Just as the military chiefs may direct. They
are a close corporation, the main object Of
which il TO get as much money AS possible
from Congress- and 10 spend it in way
that is Chinese puzzle TO investigating
committees. Both sides have for years
agreed in all their reports that the army
needs To be reorganizod and reformed; yet
the Military Ring has always contrived by
hook or by crook to defeat in one branch or
the other the legislation which proposed to
make reform effective. And when they have
occasionally failed by any cause and II law
passed to curb known eXccsscs the Execu-
two power was interposed to save them
from harm.
If this Ring had been warned In time that
promotions were to stop under the present
law until Congress should lcgislatc, It may
almost be assumed that the conference
eommtteos would have been overcome
The commission should, at the very least,
require tho estimates Tor the army 10 be-
mace out specifically with y fixed sum for
each item, IL ba !c.!owcd by the Committee
Of Appropriations in regard Ia the items
with u provsO turhdding the tr,nsfcr of the
money voted for one object to another.
By this mode, properly applied and On.
forced the country would know precisely
tho cost Of infantry. cavalry, and artillery
separately, and tho expense Of each bureau
or department of the service, which Infor
nation Is now hidden under mountain o
rod tape and circumlocutl0n, devised ex
prrssly To keep Congress and the taxpayers
In ignorance. Itomized estimates for every
brancn Of the public service, on the principle
VI the English system, by which tho cost o.