The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-03-12
stop Commissioning the Naval Cadets.

signed to them beyond the measure of COM
fort one day tho Pacific Mail steamer
from san Francisco discharged at Ycddo n
cons ignmcut Of midshipmcn ordered to the
Tennessee They had been sent by rail from
New Yoll, TO California, and by sea to Japan,
at an expense to the Treasury Of five hun
drcd dollars each. They were not wanted
ON the Tennessee nor anywhere else. Tho
Tennessee had too many officers already.
There was no room for these Annapolis SUI
pcrlluitics. Their presence caused the ut
most discomfort. Officers were forced to
sleep in cots and hammocks, in the " coun-
try" on deck, ON sottecs. on Office shelves
anywhere they could. To find something
for the supernumcrarics to do, the watches
had to hc doubled in number
The sending Of these Unnecessary midship-
mon TO this overcrowded snip at the i'm
mcnsc cost of their transportation, illus
tratcs completely the folly and wastefulncss
with which government is administered in
America. The outrage, however, found an
npologist He made the Tcnncsscc's dis
comfort and the strifcs and hatrcds Of its
mcssroOm the text of n complaint that the
Government does not have mcn-of-war
enough for the officers If the nation was
not nearly drowning in bankruptcy how
comical this would be
The unconsciously droll creatures argu-
mcnt Is that "thc Government has ac-
ccptcd the service of these mon: has dis
nn,lin.d Thorn for civic nursuits bv
the education II has given them; there
fore II j. morally bound TO give them profess
.ionnl cmnlovmcnt" To which we moko
renlv. The navvia precisclv liket nrofcs-
sion Of tn. law or tho church. Men 10 into
il for n living The terms ON which they now
20 into the navy orn that they .bnll Inc MIR.
tured and educated at the exnouso If tho
Government and afterword emnloveI os
oni,ar. if tho (;ovornm.nt shall mood ,b.i,.
services That l. MI there il of the com
tract On the nthor hanJ tho oducation of
l,,s totbo harand tho rulnit il NOT n,l,li.
char,o Tho l,,vv.r and cler,vron ba,.+o
H., ouo1in.d.oe nrn tboir liv.lfhn,I. at th.i,.
o,, oost nj, thot 80 ,hoir ,or,u,os u ,ha,.
cannot succeed in ,hoir nrof.ssions- that il
IL noh,dv wants th.,r sarvicaa ,hcv drnn
ONT of ,h.m Corr,snondinylv II thn Gov
eminent does not need the services Of it,
naval school graduates. If should droptbem
down and out. There is the entire mer
chant marine for them todropinto.
iathose whose services are not needed don't
claim pensions by reason thereof, nor insist
that the community shall employ and pay
them The midshipman has got a iirst-rate
education AZ the public expense. That
l. capital to start life with; capital that he
can't lose; better capital than most Amcri-
cans start with. The plea is shameful that
by reason of this education they ought to
be employed for life by the government
Obligation results from contracts express
or implied. On neither the Government nor
the naval cadet does the obligation of life
/ support by the first. or life service by tho
second, rest. The truth IL that our navy
/ exists solely 70 Civ" naval officers living
/ 1t Is not needed for the protection of Ameri-
can commerce" AMI e"ni'SS"dly does not
exist for that II docs not exist for ional
defence. s'aroast practically unlimited.
as Is mat 81 the United states cannot br
defended except by t"ip"loes planted in
haiDor entrances There Is not an officer
now IN the nltrd states navy who wae not
put INTO II soiely /" Srt a hV'lIhood' N'i
hoy mas pe'h sent TO the Ahial"ns Academy
on patrlotic impulse l" give the country n
her" u NSHl luf h'r ON water. All "l th'ni
WIZ S'Ht t"'i' w "S oufloit'N ~ NV ~
IN" government
The army Is fun 10 overlooking, and
50 4, the navy. But the Annapolis Acad-
envy and the Wet Point Academy keep
on manufacturing onicers for whom there
is no legitimate use, nor any chance OF
strict professional employment. They will
not resign Ihcywil wcar"paulr'tcs. The
consequence is, that overflow into other
pursuits has TO be- provided for them. There
fore the Signal Service j. gradually absorb
ing officers ont Of the artillery, infantry
and cavalry to watch harometors and look
which way the wind blows. Fifteen officers
have got themselves slowed away with all
their pay and allowances in that comfortable
safeguard Thirty have got themselves de-
tailed as professors Of military tactics IN
various colleges. Three hundred have
effected their retreat in good order and in
the prime of life aud usefulness into the
retired list, whore nndsturbcd by calls t,
duty they add their pay to their other
sources of income, and happily rpcn II
T. /.