Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1878-12-26
Washington Letter.

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plunder.
# Washington Letter.
From our regular correspondent
Washington, D. c., Dec. 20, 1873:
Editor Little Falls Transcript:
Army reorganization is live SUBJ
ject here just now, and is likely to
become more lively before the discus
sion of it ends In Congress. The Gen.
eral>in~chief has expressed his approv-
al Of the bill lately reported by Sem
ator Burnside's Joint Committee, and
TO man up bamboo sprout it would
appear that the grounds for his ap>
proval are tolerably plain. Your COR
respondent isn't much of a warrior,
neither in the science or practice, nor
can Gen. Burnside be accused af any>
thing very brilliant in this line, though
1t the mere matter of reduction IS all
that is required, his method few
years ago was certainly effective and
practical. Ore of the gravest admon~
itions of General Washington upon his
retirement from public life, was his
warning against standing army, and
the maintenance of such an institution
upon anything like large scale, is
foreign to the whole theory and spirit
Of our government. Since the civil
war our army has been a top~heavy
and incongruous concern, only saved
from thorough overhauling by Indi>
an complications and depredations.
The House of Representatives, and
especially the Military Committee,
headed by Gen. Banning, has had the
matter under consideration for two
years, and the Commission which has
just reported, grew out of their agita>
tion Of the subject.
The bill unanimously reported is a
voluminous document, and recommends
some very radical changes as we'll as a
considerable reduction. But the great
objection thinking men have discov-
cred in its provisions is the tendency
to subordinate civil to military au>
thor1ty. Tecumseh Sherman likes it,
evidently, becase 1t makes him practi,
cally Secretary of War General, and
50 far as the army is concerned, Pres
ident Of the United States, or Com
mander~in>chief. The Secretary of
War is left no authority worth speak,
ing of, and his Office is made SUBJ
stantially frst~class clerkship. This
is OF course pleasing to man of
Sherman's egotism and arbitrary in.
clinations; but is none the less wrong
in principle because at his death Sec>
retary, General, and Military Presi-
dent all die. thore being no provisions
for a successor. Of course, if we are
to have standing army it needs re,
organizing, and the elimination of a
lew superHuous but expensive should,
er straps, is one of the first demands
The present plan does this, and per.
haps, in time, it may be brough,
down to basis of not over two officers
to one private but the Capitalization
features Of the measure ought to be
squelched. The tendency of the day
is to the concentration of power at the
National Capitol: It is an impulse
borne of war, and fostered by Radica
practices, and the finger boards o.
history warn US that if we are no
wise and prudent, it will end in ruin
Already a compact and powerful party
is calling for return of Grant to th.
Chief Majistracy, that we may have a
strong government. Consideration o.
the army subject has been set for Jan,
uary 9th in the House.
It is evident that the manouvres O.
Senator Blaine are not advancing hi
presidential prospects to the degree he
anticipated. His heaviest gun ha,
been discharged, yet no increase in hi,
popularity is visible to the naked eye
Senator Thurman's amendment tt
Blalne's resolution promises to bring
forth quite as much fruit as the origi,
nal inquiry, for, as Senator Wallace SC
aptly stated in his speech, the inves.
tlgation Of Cameronism in Pennsylva.
MIA and artist tocratic bulldozing in
Massachusetts, will develop facts quite
as startling as anything likely to be
found in South Carolina or any othe,
Southern State. Aud now that the
resolution has passed, with no serious
opposition from the Democrats, the
Republicans are having a high old
time organizing the committee. Blaine
absolutely refuses to do his own dirty
work: and Conkling who isn't aiding
Blalne's schemes to any alarming ex'
tent, not If he knows it, also decline.
to serve. The Senate will have te
pass a conscription act. But the
worst feature of the whole business il
the refusal to conduct the investiga'
tion with open doors. 1fit is an hon.
est inquiry, and not machine fo,
manufacturing party capital by means
OF forged statements and false cross.
mark af6davits, the light of day won''
lhurt it. BY direction of the Demo.
cratic majority of the House. repre-