The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-27
The MonstrOus Allowances the Army
Officers are Fighting For.

The present pay of army officers was
fixed when the premium on gold was iG7.
Gen. SHERMAN, in letter addressed 10 the
House Military Committee in February.
1876, said that when paper and gold became
equivalent, all military salaries could and
should be reduced from fifteen to twenty
per cent. Grecnhacks and gold have met IN
value. But the General of the Army, with
every officer In 1t, fiercely rcslsts theondeav-
ors OF honest representatives in Congress to
reduce the excessive pny of our military or
der. This selfshness. this undemocratic in
slstance on privilege, in the height Of the
hard times which opprcss all the labor and
impair all the Investments in the ma
ton, are intolerablc to the people out
OF whose hard earnings comes every
dollar OF this army pay. Who are
ts'se officers, that they should not share,
with all other Americans, the financial de-
preston of the country? Not mechanic,
not farmer, not n lawyer merchant,
sailor, clergyman, physician, scholar; not
a widow or ward; not an old man or
woman. living on the income of accumulated
earnings or inherited property; no Ameii-
can whatever, escapes his or her shnre Of the
national misfortune of collar sod industries
and -hrunkcn values, except Che favored
f.w WHO have attained to Government -aia
rics. Not only are these exempted from tn"
direct effect of hard times to lessen incomes,
but they thrive ON the misfortuncs of all
others Of their countrymcn. Their secured
incomes paid out of our taxes buy twice as
much in hard times as in good times.
Think Of Congressman constrained by
che pressure Of these angry sinecurists to
stand on the floor of tho House of Repro
sentatives and almost apologize for his COM
mittee's trinng reduction OF the army pay
which leaves the General $4,000 n year;
the Lcutcnant-Gcncral Sl1,GlS; Il Major
General Ss,l4s; BriRadlcr-Gcneral, sG.0D;
and proportionaly down through the
grades till boyish second lieutenant Of
cavalry, Just out Of West Point. green as
grass, and not worth ono cent to fight In
dams, receives S239L And the while people
are starving to death in this peaceful repub-
lie for want of employment! The pay of our
army proposed in the HEWITT bill is the
largest in the world. But in the midst Of
bankruptcy, idleness and poverty, SO gem
eral as to be national, our army officers
fight against that pay. They Insist ON more.
They have begun howl about an invasion
Oh lucll IlbHlS' il's 'N'h vain "''"N Wv
ingratltude of the nation
The case is unparalleled for its impudoncc
and senshncss. Consider it, The army
officers will not suffer their absurd claim to
hold Office for life to be questioned. They
insist that the Government is bound To keep
and maintain them till they die. Thor pro-
posed regular pay is greater than that OF
the officers of any army in Europe. To this
is added longevity pay IA ten per cent
increase for every five years Of service III
addition TO this, they have the right 10 pur-
chase from the Government food and cloth
ing at cost. In addition to this, they have
medical attendance and medicines. free, foI
themselves, their wives and children. III
addition to this, they Got their quarters
free II ON service, They got from
the Government forage for their hor-os
They have the privilege, too, Of buy
mg the best Of hickory and oaR
wood for three dollars cord Tocrown all
tI,t get pensions for lie whom they -tol
drawing fun pay on the "actve list, which
b. tAe most inactive and idle outside IF mud
.uetlodum. Their retired pay is seventy
i've per cent OF their regular pay. In nj
European armies retired pay is half pay n
the bcet ana gcncrnlly much less. Now
this favored body If enormously ovcrpai'
sinocursts why have We soon it lightm,
Mr. IiEwlrr's cXtrayagant Army bill, 81
maniicstly framed in it's ntcrestand againe
the interest of the pcoplcY
Gen, LoGAS's bill TO reduce the army an
hlhlhish its pay passed by Congress 4
lo'o' carefully provided for ending the mon
Nrous allowances" eight in number
which had been cunningly contrlved b
army officers. to increase their incomes