The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-09-02
The Power Of Pay.


People who are familiar with army officers
are aware that they are among the worst
grumblels to be found. They are always
complaining Of the injustice Of their lot. of
the ingrattudc OF their country. and cspe
cially " those particular avcr-ions 81 theirs
the newspapers. \ newspaper man in an
army post IL an uh jcct of mingled dislike amt
contempt. Ii pcrchance u post commander
! treats newspaper man with courtesy. and
| gives him opportunities To SEE things for
! himself, all his comrades in the army sheer
at him rs " u newspaper general" and hate
! him bitterly. The spirit with which the
army looks upon the rest q; the nation Is
very well displayed In the following jere-
miad. lately delivered 10y Gen. PORE before
the Social Science Association. IT must he
remembered that PurE. like HOWARD, is
| regular 10 the backbone. and did nothing
but fail during the civil war; but, being an
old officer. and an opponent of MCCLELLAN,
he was made Il Brpadicr The gallant
General, vindicating the army from the
charge Of being fond Of Indian wars. says:
10 the army officer state peace with Indians - of
all things the most icslrahe Hud norman all the
Try. Ea.i West would ito more 90 avert Indian
IL HIM war with Indian. means fur than any
else except the actual vctm II, see. II. beginning ~
iuusurc and wt"u- to the indian which hr has not the
power To- prevent he THE Indian gradual, reach
condition OF starvation impossible ct longer endurance
ant ur' iorc,d I" take what lac cHRg,t o. save himself
from Gy lu- Vi autscr and cannot help sAnpa4Nns with
HIM tor duii- bat hr, ausc hc d,. the office
ordered 20 usr force against linn VITA what ,riuta
humane ore,enR dcconuS civilized maucntcf, into such
war may be- caH, understood ami ~ IA hcHtN every
case this D.. Ircci.ciN ic fcchn. with which army urers
begin husuues with iian. Io theArin, war With udi
an. long and tosone murohe- with saint, ,upphcs
OF fol aud .othns. It mean. Npu.urc t,th, elements
UFuFf aHIN. N.4 m afa
cruel 30 wounded or HIT. uieins separation from VII,
nul chirvn Rnd deprivation oi ever, t4nl that makes
he desirable to civilized man Il than 4i
ths u ut,aus har, ami unu.t c,nsue. Whatever the
result % 'Iiecv.slt L. massacre of Indians. o. an
iu' 10 wuftts.ncfs .ut llii, ant the,
Judgment, confront tho army iu every ncWsttcr aud ~
ruhc ,p,cehc,i u tnist,,s and ele"h.ic-tud. hts
PASSED o.! men vino ag, absolutely ignorant " tc SUBJECT
az a "r bs tho w'o knowing better u.rcptcssnt tor
purpose To meet such srcctuF after months of hand
ala" HnI suffering an an Indian war brought on by con
duct Wh,h hr aihor, which he dlsaI proved from
the he.imnn-. Ind onS entered into after conflict b,
tween conscience AMI the o dut, g. his tioNern
~, nt-s,cm- hard indeed, and would long since have
comroIe, discouraged men less sustained by l.h sense
Of honor ana duty"
This speech is very affecting To army Off
Gers and their adoring wives. but il lacks
one little thing of being convincing truth
Gen. PorE pretcnd, 60 think that army OIL
GERS are held up to their work. however
painful. 10y n " sense Of duty To- the Govern
ment" and by high sense OF honor and
duty" Now Gen POrr knows we'll. none
| better, that it is nothing but the pay and
! ratiuns, with the prospect Of better pay and
rations II they live long enough, that keeps
! lil and every other officer IN the United
States Army to-day. Gen. POPE and other
officers, il really actuat"d by" Il high sense
81 honor" would resign their commissions
tomorrow, rather than he compelled, as
| they say they are 10 engage IN uni u7t wars,
| and massacre women and children, as they
now do. That they remain where they are
shows that they have no such sense Of
! honor" but submit 10 what he complains
) 81 a. degrading treatment for u different
! consideration. Gen. PoPE salNcs his wounded
/ honor with s7.jlp u year In handsome quar-
I ters at Fort LeaNcuWurth, close to II large
! town. and Suuthes his wounicd feelings 10y
/ listening to tine music Of the band, paid Tor
/ from the company funds Of the enlisted
men. ooloncls majors. captains, and subs
solacr thciI respective souls against the
harsh and unjus, censuro" which crops
/ out in the time-hunored remark Of "Sogcr,
would ye work; No, iii rather sell me
shirt by the same means. modified by
rank. The sub does his grumhling ON 1890
year and quarters, while the more happy
captain draws Ills little 81 500 and swells
ii with longevity pay mp as high a. he can
No orders can be issued bad enough To
compel the average army officer To resign
his commission for the very simple reason
that he knows that he could not to-day
make as much money In any other walk Of
life, and probably never could have done SO.
SHERMAN realizes this kccnly. He was
once tool enough to leave the army, as he
tells us In his memoirs, and he pretty soon
found that not all his friends aud talents
could keep him from going down, till the
war gave him u chance 10 get back. So long
US he can draw his pay he will do il, despite
/ all the harsh and unjust ccnsuro" that
can be thrown upon him GRANT feels
to-day that he was IL fool to leave the
Gencralship and a life certainty for the
Presidency for eight years and he
l. laying his wires for denomination "a
President or compromise on some novel
| and high commission in the army. The
reason is simple. lie wants To get back 10
the public crib, and his European trip is
| costing him great deal OF money.
The cohesive power of pay and rations
keeps the army together That power
ought not to be allowed to act any longer
The army is both dangerous and useless.
ABOLISH THE ARMY,