The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-06
The ARMY Reform.

Although the bill reported by Mr.. BAN
sINo from the Military Committee for re-
organizing the army falls vcry far short ~
the public demand for a radical reduction Of
tho rank and flo it still has merits which
have provoked the bitter hostility of Gen.
SHERMAN. and other military chiefs. and
heir magnificent Stan ;, who are now in the
enjoyment Of priuccly uay and emoluncnts.
Their opposition j. at least a good sign.
showing that the recommendation made Tor
reducing this top-hcavv ma,hiuc, and for
,uttiDg on the costly eNcre-ccnces which,
~ years Of liberation, have grown to De
enormous abuses ar" on Ia" right side.
In the present army Of twenty-five thou
sand men. there H. one oiiicer forabout every
eight soldiers. This fnct furnishes its own
commentary. and it also furnishes the rea-
son why every form OF ingenious device and
false ptctcncr has been adopted In order to
prevent a reduction Of Tho force, 80 that the
disparity should not become more glaring
than it actually Il. There arc in our little
army officers enough To command one of the
great standing armies 81 Europe.
The evil does not end mere. because this
largo body of officers is annually recruited
hy graduates from West Point. where the
system il nourished IN it, infancy. with one
Professor for every four cadets. From the
graduate to the General, tho organization j.
-uch that no civilian can tell the full amount
nj money received by any officer durn. a
year without a study OF complicated fig
ures and regulations with which only ex-
ports arc familiar.
IN the era Of Extravaganza which follow
Cd the civil war. Wien prodigality was the
rule in all the departments. the pay and the
extras Of the officers were augmented with
out regard 10 the burdens imposed. They
have been enjoying these Injuries for years,
and now. When every interest l. suffering,
and rea -onablc reduction is proposed. lay
10 meau- corresponding To the retrcnrh-
nent in the civil service. a howl Is raised. a
II some great wrong wa about to be- per
rotratcd. or some vested right Wa attacked
This favored cla~-, last growing To- he th"
anomaly OF an ari-tocrntic institution in th"
midst of a republic. and assuming Mrs Of
privilege and superiority. will do 80 u to Az
cent whatever Congress may grant. or cN-
rect to confront p chunFo for the worse The
people arc in no mood for triniug, when two
or three millions Of working men are with
out employment. and three or four millions,
more are working IN half time. II oxpc-
rlence Doe worth anything recent adm"hi-
tons should not be lost.
As tothe army itself there is no iustinca-
,on for twenty thousand rank and file, a.
the BANNING bill proposes. All tho te,t-
lnony of Gen. SHERMAN and Others fails nj
ierlY u give goor reason for any such
'orco at THIS lime Wien every 'Dp"r0n"i'
man ought TO De eur on andcNc'N p"-~'hl''
dollar saved. By multiplying unnecessary
posts on the frontier. which IS one OF tine
nrtiul trick, Of thc trade an army oi niiy
thousand, just ns we'll ms twenty could b"
distributed Rat the country is compelled
iocon-idcr now what f. tho Leaf fore" indi~-
rersahlo for efficient protection. and not
how many troops al" required to magnify
the consequence of Cen SHEINAy and the