Arizona citizen., 1879-02-08
Honor and Honesty.

the auNlSaDlllty or transferring the h.
 dians to the War Department decided
 in favor of the proposition and made a report sustaining their views. Although
 there was nothing effected, the com
 mittee being equally divided, we can-
 not help making reference to a certain passage in sad report. Speaking of
 the advantages to be gained by the
 transfer in the way of honest admins
 ton, the report says:
 Whatever else may be said of our ar
 my officers, they are, as a class, men of
 high honor and strict integrity. Their
 training has impressed these high qualities upon them, and their assOcia lion requires their constant observance
 Every officer in the army is a check
 upon every other officer, and such is
 the system of accountability in the
 army that It IS nearly impossible for
 an officer 10 act dishonesty without be
 ing detected and punished
 And the Sacramento Record Union.
 referring to this quoted passage, re
 marks:
 We do not know upon what precise
 grounds the theory of the superior
 morals of the army rests. It may be
 correct, but if it Is the morals of the
 army must have improved very greatly
 since the War, for at that time the War
 Department was the cover of about as
 much gross and shameless robbery, as
 even Indian Agents ever perperated.
 We are compelled again and again
 to refer to this question of the Indian
 and the Army until we are fairly sick
 of it But we are on the frontier. We see and have for years seen the actual
 and practical working ot the Army and the Indian Bureau. THE CITIZEN
 has made war on dishonest Indian agents in this Territory and fought them 10 tine bitter end. We have no. selfish interest in the question But we believe the civil power is the one to deal with the Indian, with the mili-I tary as its accessory and police WeI believe the army To be cOrrHBt to ils. very core and one of the most dcmOral- iZing agencies that could be brought into contact with the Indian. The credence in the innate honesty of the. army Is one of the most remarkablcI instances of human creIulity extani, aud obtains DO where but at distance from the practical working of the army It is simply a foolish belief in the iu- nae purity of the sepulchre from view ing is outside whiteness. There isl nothing in the army 10 prevent its cor ruption; on the contrary, after ccrrup-l ton once gained foothold, as il did in the war, there is every encourage ment to it's continued existence The very creed and law of the army isl based on individual honor, and when you corrupt that base you provide for the gradual rottenness of the whole structure. Except the word of an Ot fee, Ion honor, there is nothing to| c rect abuse or prevent or punish crime but the courtmartial, a sort of free e-masonry arrangement, law unto It is an impenetrable bar rier to the correction or exposition of abuse or crime. We see the millions of each years appropriation melt away under the manipulation of an army beggarly in size; we see a. quartermasters' department the syno- Dym of fat jobs and a magnet for job bers, while its officers lead a cOm- paratiYely princely existence; we see those who are most brought into busi-i ness contact with the army become the most lax and loose in their morals and cynical in regard to the very existence of common honesty in government af- fairs. We could go further with our but cui bono? We have nothing to gain from the Indian Bu- reau and no interest in the Indian but W hat every good citizen should have. Our personal interests are just the other way. We have subscribers con nected with the army, and occasionally other newspaper patronage. And will what we might say be pursuasive with those who daily repeat their creed of the superlative honesty of tue army It is not at all likely. Those of thai faith who are not selfishly interested should have obtained information be- fore accepting the creed, and such in is so broadcast and matter of notor1ety that their ignorance IS criminal and impenetrable. We are sick at heart of the whole business. Transfer the Indian il you will. Undo inc patient work of years, accomplish ad in the face of miserly approprla- ions and normal obstacles; draw up your army and charge the situailon; hen lavishly increase the appropria- lions and let every agency become second quariermasters' department; let official gambling and debauchery grow ,nace: let the Indian men become helpless with vice and drunkenness md the women loathsome and rotten ,ictims of lust. Ring out the old, ring Il the new; and may ajusi God visit with condign punishment every one yho has a hand in the business. i,
 THE bill restricting the immigration ,f Chinese 10 fifteen on any vessel en- ering the ports of the United States yas passed January 27 in the house (